Report of Monitoring Team
on Intervention of State Govt. in
response to alleged Hunger and Malnutrition death of
Infants of Juang tribes in Nagada
village of Jajpur district, Odisha
In the wake of news highlighted by Mass Media about
death of 20 infants due to malnutrition in Nagada village of Jajpur district
and subsequent public outcry and reaction of opposition political parties
accusing state’s mal-administration responsible for such unfortunate incident,
the State Govt. responded immediately from 14.7.16 by sending a number of officials to Nagada
village to assess the situation of Juang tribes and their children. Since last 20 days, Mass media has been
highlighting a number of steps taken by the district administration in this
village to check malnutrition and provide free health service to malnourished
children by sending special doctor team and referring them to Nutrition
Rehabilitation Centre (NRC). Besides that the State Govt. has also started construction of road to
Nagada from Deogaon, distribution of water filter and food materials like rice
and dal to each family and installation of Solar Light etc.
Having gone through the news, it was felt by Right to Food Campaign, Odisha to visit
Nagada village again to monitor performance of Govt. officials and their
intervention to address the issues of hunger and malnutrition, development
work, if any taken by Govt. for the
socio-economic development of Juang tribes. It is needless to mention here that a
six-member Fact-finding Team of Right to Food Campaign, Odisha had visited Nagada
village on 15th and 16th
July 2016 to ascertain the facts about alleged child malnutrition and suggested
the State Govt. to take steps for the development of the tribals. On
18.7.16, the Fact-finding report was also presented to Chief Secretary, Govt.
of Odisha, Secretary, Women and Child Development Department, Health and Family
Welfare Department, SC and ST development Department and Revenue Divisional
Commissioner, Central Division, Cuttack seeking enquiry and quick action by the
Govt. to save the tribals from hunger and malnutrition.
As decided earlier, a 7-member Fact-finding
Team visited Nagada village on 5.8.16
to assess and monitor performance and intervention of the State Govt. The Team Members were as follows.
1. Pradip
Pradhan,Member, Advisory Group of
NHRC on Right to Food, M-9937843482
2. Kalandi
Mallik, District Convener, Right to Food Campaign, Jajpur district, M-
9938618390
3. Biswanath
Patra,Human Rights Activist,
Sukinda, Jajpur District
4. Sanjay
Nayak, Social Activist, Bhuban,
Dhenkanal District
5. Kali
Prasanna Mohanty, RTI Activist, Badachana,
Jajpur
6. Ananta
Kumar Das, Member, Odisha Soohana
Adhikar Abhijan, M- 9437672036
7. Hrudanand
Mallik, Social Activist, Bhuban,
Dhenkanal district
Visit of the Team
The Team started journey from
Deogan village amidst heavy rain at 11 o’clock and reached in Nagada at 2
pm. The team members spent 4 hours on
Hilltop interacting with the villagers, relief team, visiting Medical Camp,
police camp along with VHF set up, inspecting various works and materials
distributed by Govt. in the village and started returning back from Nagada at 6
pm evening and reached at Deogaon, foot of the Hill at 10 PM covering dark mountainous forest
track. This time journey was very tedious, adventurous and memorable for all of
us.
1. Meeting
with Govt. official
The Team members found presence of a number of Govt. official
and their camps in Nagada village and met the following Govt. officials and
volunteers of NGOs deputed by Govt. who have been stationed there to carry out
different works entrusted to them in the best interest of Juang tribes.
a. Sri
Asit Nayak of Valid India Trust engaged by Women and Child Development Dept. to
identify malnourished children, monitor their health and ensures treatment to
malnourished children in collaboration with Govt. Doctors.
b. Kamala
Pradhan, Mini Anganwadi Worker , newly applointed by Govt. to manage ICDS
programme
c. Ms.
Manorama Pradhan, Anganwadi worker along with other seven AWWs deputed by Govt.
to monitor health of the children, pregnant woman and enforce ICDS service.
d. Four
Police personnel deployed to maintain law and order in Nagada and found playing
cards day and night without bothering anything.
e. Teachers of ASPIRE NGO conducting pre-school and joyful education in Nagada and
managing noon food provided to the children funded by T.S.R.D.
f. Assistant
Computer Programmer deputed by BDO, Sukinda Block undertaking survey to
identify the families left out of purview of National Food Security Act.
2. Intervention on
Child Malnutrition- One Step Forward
The Team came across a health camp under a tent functioning
in the village with appointment of a Doctor, ANM and other para-medical staff. The
Team met two volunteers Asit Nayak and Suryakant of Valid India Trust, NGO examining health condition of malnourished
children. During interaction with them, it was found that Women and Child Development
Dept had engaged them to look into malnourished children. The task assigned to
them was identifying malnourished children, monitoring their health, providing
nutritious food and ensuring their treatment in consultation with Medical Team.
They were also providing EDNRF (Energy
Dense Nutrient Rich Food), a nutritious liquid packed food to the
malnourished children. There are still 16 malnourished children ( seven Acquit Malnourished and nine Moderate Acquit Malnourished)
identified in the village, says Asit Nayak, VIT Volunteer. On 26.7.16, one 2 year old infant Rebati
Pradhan, daughter of Sania Pradhan whose condition is very critical has been
referred to NRC (Nutrition
Rehabilitation Centre) for better treatment. The Team came across two malnourished
children whose condition was very critical.
3. Intervention
on ICDS – Just beginning to see the children free from Malnutrition.
The Team came across a team of Anganwadi Workers along
with a Supervisor interacting with women and filling up Forms and maintaining
Registers in different locations in the village. While interacting with Smt. Manorama Pradhan,
one of Anganwadi Workers’ team deputed to Nagada said that they have been
assigned with task of sensitising pregnant and lactating woman about health,
child care, breastfeeding etc. and
conducting survey for newly opened two Mini Anganwadi Centres. The Team members
met Kamala Pradhan, newly-appointed Mini Anganwadi Worker who was found feeding
her son 2 years old only cooked rice
without any curry or dal and wanted to know her assignment and how she was
discharging her duties. She said that she got appointed seven days back and serving
noon cooked food to the children. No breakfast is provided to the children.
4. Intervention
on Food Security- Still Nightmare?
Prior to visit Nagada village, it was decided by the Team to study minutely about
food security situation of Juang people and substantial improvement, if any in
their food security after intervention of the Govt. Accordingly, the team
members visited three houses and interacted with number of the villagers to
know about their present principal food item consumed by them. The Team observed that two people were
eating rice and fried leaves, one consuming only cooked rice and salt and a 3
year old child consuming only cooked rice with fried leaves. On query about
reason for consumption of only rice and fried leaves, they said that they had
nothing to eat. Then, they were asked to know about type of food materials provided
to them by Govt. Mania Pradhan, Kartik
Pradhan and other villagers said that the Govt. has provided rice and Mug Dal
to each family. On 24.7.16, 5 kg Rice
has been provided per person in each family and 2 to 3 kg mug dal has been
allotted to each family keeping in view
size of the family by the Govt. besides that Chuda and Guda has also been
provided to each family which is hardly consumed by them. On query about why they are not consuming dal every
day, they said that it will be tasteless. Besides that no food item has been provided
to them.
It was also found that few people who have been left
out under NFSA are being provided new ration card as Priority Household (PHH).
No Antodaya card has been given to them as required to meet direction of the
Supreme Court that each Primitive Tribal
Groups are entitled to get 35 kg rice per month whatever may be their family
size. The people are seen very dull, physically weak and unable to do hard
work.
5.
Free Kitchen for children
With support from T.S.R.D., an NGO called ASPIRE is
running free kitchen in Nagada village. One cooked meal in every day is
provided to 80 children. The food menu served to them was rice, dal and soya
chuk curry without any vegetable.
6Intervention on Infrastructure Development
a.The
Govt. has started road construction work at Deogaon
to Nagada.
b. Each family has been provided water flter
which has remained inside their house without any use.
c. Solar light
has been installed in the village with connection to few families. The work is
going on.
d. Construction
of two new wells has been started.
e. Dress, sari,
fan and mosquito net has been provided to each family.
Analysis and Recommendations
A. As there was allegation of
malnutrition as reason for death
of the children in Nagada village, the
Govt. has taken it as primary
responsibility to check
malnutrition among the children by
undertaking series of activity including deputing
medical team and opening medial
camp in the village. Regular health monitoring, providing
nutritious food, medicine to the malnourished children, regular treatment,
sensitisation activity by Anganwadi
Workers , Opening Anganwadi Mini Centre,
and referring acute malnourished
children to NRC has been on-going work
which is a laudable job done by Govt.
B. The
issue of Malnutrition should not be taken as health problem. Rather it is a
food security problem. Due to acute food
crisis, a man remains in hunger and
chronic huger leads to malnutrition or starvation death. In Nagada, food
insecurity is the major problem which has not been addressed by the Govt. till
yet. Due to lack of purchasing power,
the villagers could not purchase any food item for their consumption. So they
are seen forced to take only rice, fried leaves and salt. May times, they also
could not purchase salt. Remaining hunger and taking only rice has not only
weakened their body but caused huge malnutrition among children. The pregnant
and lactating women have suffered from several diseases. To address this problem, the state Govt. has started
distribution of rice and dal
to each family. Dal cannot always be consumed by anybody. The
State Govt. has not provided sufficient dal to them. So finding no other item for food, they
still continue to consume same
food i.e., rice, salt and fried leaves considered by them as Principal Food,
observed by the Team. It should be kept
in mind by Govt or any Non-Govt. Organisations, unless food insecurity issue is
addressed, malnutrition cannot be
checked. The Team also found that noon
meal provided to the children supported by TSRD is devoid of any vegetables and
egg.
C. The
Govt. has not yet started any labour intensive work for the people. Unless the
Govt. starts employment generation work, the villagers cannot earn and continue
to depend on Govt. for relief materials.
It is also not practically possible on part of the Govt. to continue to provide relief to the
villagers for months together. If relief is stopped, the tribals will again
face same problem and continue to suffer.
Recommendation
of the Team
Keeping in view the above situation, the
Team makes following recommendation to
the State Govt. and RDC-led Task Force to strengthen socio-economic condition
of Juang tribes.
1. The
Team feels that the half-hazard
intervention and relief operation undertaken by Govt. will no way help the tribals. Malnutrition can be addressed for some
period. But it can not be checked in
long run. Malnutrition can be checked
through strengthening their food security. So besides distribution of rice and
dal, the Govt. should provide potato, onion, oil, egg and vegetables as relief materials to each family in order to strengthen their food security. Rice
and dal may not address their hunger problem in the long run.
2. Free
kitchen centre opened for children can be used to provide food to weak and
older persons. This should be provided
twice in a day. Vegetable and egg curry
should be food item in free kitchen centre. It should continue at least for 3
months.
3. The Govt. should immediately start labour
intensive work in order to provide employment to the villagers. So that they
can earn and survive independently without depending on relief.
4. Agriculture
work, horticulture, plantation programme should be undertaken with the
objective to engage them in agriculture activity for their livelihood.
5. Road construction
work should be undertaken on war-footing way
to ensure quick connectivity to Nagada village which stands as biggest
problem for any kind of intervention by Govt. or Non-Govt. bodies.
Report prepared by
Pradip Pradhan
Plot No.D-27, Maitree
Vihar, Post-Rail Vihar, Bhubaneswar-23
M-9937843482
