Mumbai, September 25: The Bombay high court on Thursday asked the state government to explain how a 10-year-old tribal girl died allegedly due to weakness and lack of blood in a state-run ashramshala in Dahanu Taluka.
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On September 7, the court had directed the state government to stop serving poor quality foodgrains to tribal children in ashramshalas across the state.
The court had taken suo motu cognisance of the deaths of five children between September 2007 and October 2007 in the government-run ashram schools in Dahanu, Thane district.
On Thursday, the court was informed that on September 19, the body of a Vaishali Merya, 10, was found near her ashram school in Talasri. According to advocate Geeta Mulekar, a medical officer had stated the cause of death to be “weakness and deficiency of blood”.
Noting that a child cannot suddenly die due weakness and lack of blood without a previous illness, chief justice Swatanter Kumar and justice AM Khanwilkar said the government had failed to provide timely treatment to the girl. “It is expected of the state government to look after adivasi children and ensure that their fundamental rights are protected,” the judges observed.
Meanwhile, the CBI has filed a chargesheet against four officers on September 10, for procuring foodgrains for the ashramshalas without following the established procedure.
An inquiry, conducted by the CBI into the quality of food served at the ashramshalas after the death of five children in 2007 in Thane district, has revealed that the foodgrains were infested with insects, larvae and rat excreta.
The HC has also asked the government to file a reply on the allegations made regarding siphoning of funds meant for tribal welfare. Mulekar alleged that sanitary napkins were procured at an inflated price and never provided to the tribal girls, funds were sanctioned for pest control of ashram schools but no pest control was carried out. Similarly, Rs35 lakh were sanctioned for laying of PVC pipes in schools but no pipes were changed and neither was the kitchen renovation carried out even though funds were sanctioned for it.
–Agencies–