Sheopur malnutrition deaths: Scindia reminds Maneka Gandhi of probe promise

Special Correspondent

NewsBits.in

Bhopal: Congress MP and ex-union minister Jyotiraditya Scindia has reminded union minister for women and child development Maneka Gandhi of her promise to conduct a fair and independent probe into the deaths of malnourished children in Sheopur district of Madhya Pradesh.

At least 19 kids had died and about 150 were detected with severe malnutrition in the tribal-dominated district in August and September this year.

Scindia, who is chief whip of Congress in Lok Sabha, had met the union minister on September 14 and handed over a representation seeking intervention on her part.

In his reminder letter written recently, Scindia has reminded the minister that she had expressed deep anguish and concern over the deaths and had promised that a central probe team would visit Sheopur to look into malnutrition deaths.

Scindia has said in the reminder letter that he has not heard of any action on part of her ministry or by the state government to punish the guilty in the matter.

He has once again urged Gandhi to intervene and order a fair and independent probe and also direct the state government to take necessary action.

During a survey conducted in September, within five days 461 malnourished kids were detected in 106 villages, of which 145 were found to be several malnourished.

The MP government has accepted in state assembly that 19,724 kids in Sheopur were malnourished.

Madhya Pradesh has second highest malnutrition rate in India, highest infant mortality rate and second highest under-5 mortality rate.

In a letter memorandum to the union minister, Scindia had said that it was very unfortunate that despite such grim statistics, the state government continued to ignore the ground situation.

The same area reported malnutrition deaths 10 years ago and the government has been able to do nothing to improve the scenario. In last 12 years, nutritious food worth Rs 7800 crores was apparently distributed, but not positive impact is seen.

Scindia had also said in the memorandum that accountability of the government should be fixed in this context.