The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has issued a reminder to the Odisha Chief Secretary when he failed to file a reply to an earlier notice issued to him on a petition alleging that more than 10 lakh children in the State are underweight out of which over 50,000 are severely malnourished.
The commission has sought a reply from the Chief Secretary within four weeks.
Earlier acting on a petition filed by activist and lawyer Radhakanta Tripathy, the NHRC had issued notice seeking detailed reports within four weeks.
Tripathy in his petition had alleged that while the overall malnutrition rate among children for the state stands at about 37.5 per cent , it is way higher in the backwards tribal districts of Malkangiri, Koraput, Nabarangpur, Rayagada, Gajapati, Kandhamal, Kalahandi, Nuapada, Mayurbhanj, Sundargarh and Keonjhar.
The worst-affected in the State are children from Bonda, Juanga, Mankidia and other tribal communities. The children from the SC dominated villages also suffer from acute hunger and malnutrition.
The problem with most programmes launched by the Women and Child Development and Health Departments and countless NGOs is that they do not take into consideration the ground realities and the socio-cultural practices. No wonder, all the schemes have failed to have the desired effect, Tripathy stated
The failure of the State Government to ensure childcare with nutrition, food, safe drinking water and proper healthcare to the pregnant women and children up to 12 years amounts to serious violation of human rights, Tripathy alleged.
Pursuant to the notice of the NHRC, the reports submitted by the different district administration, the facts were presented as if the State has done everything and there is no problem in Sundargarh, Koraput, Jajpur, Nuapada and Malkangiri districts.
But the petitioner argued that the efforts are insufficient in nature and a lot needs to be done by the State Government for providing the basic necessities, dignified life to the residents of these affected areas.
After considering the petition and the reports of the district Collectors, the NHRC has sought a composite updated detailed reply in the matter from the Chief Secretary within four weeks positively.