Odisha Sun Times Bureau
Bhubaneswar, Jul 20:

The Odisha Human Rights Commission (OHRC) today served a notice to the state government over the infant deaths in Nagada village under Sukinda block in Jajpur district.

malnourished children nagada

Taking serious note of the issue the OHRC served a notice to the chief secretary seeking to know under what circumstances 19 infants died in Nagada, what was the reason behind the deaths and what steps the government has taken in this regard.

While expressing grave concern over the issue, the Commission has asked the state government to take immediate steps to contain the situation and report to it within four weeks.

On the other hand, following media and other reports and attack by the Opposition over infant deaths in Nagada due to malnutrition, the state government has woken up from its slumber to the issue and has decided to set up two mini Anganwadi Kendra there.

In an attempt to wash its hands off the sin of the death of 19 infants in a short span, the state government’s Women and Child Development Minister Usha Devi has shifted the blame on the illiterate Juanga tribals of Nagada by claiming that an excessive number of children in a family is the reason behind undernourishment.

She said efforts will be made to create awareness among them on this account.

“On the very first day had they come down from the hills, things would have been a little better for us. On my department’s part, all I can say is we have done everything that we ought to have done. We have already made arrangements for the opening of mini Anganwadis there. Arrangements have been also made so that Anganwadi workers deliver take-home rations and chhatua to the families. Connectivity to that place is most needed only then can drinking water, health everything can reach them. There is nothing called family planning among them. In some families, there are about eight-nine children. Even before a child completes one year, there is another child in the family. Some families have more than seven children. In one place 24 families have as many as 122 children according to reports available with me,” said Usha Devi commenting on steps taken by her government to contain infant deaths in Nagada.

Off late in Nagada as many as 17 children have been identified as malnourished, out of them 14 have been admitted to a specialised centre, informed AB Ota, RDC (Central) after conducting a review of the situation following the constitution of a task force for the development of the area.

Ota said nodal officers have been appointed to oversee communication, health, electricity, drinking water, food security etc in the area.

The RDC informed that underdeveloped areas similar to Nagada in other parts of the state are being identified.