KOLAM STARVATION DEATHS IN VIDARBHA

KOLAM STARVATION DEATHS IN VIDARBHA

HIGH COURT ORDERED MAHARASHTRA TO SUBMIT STATUS REPORT ON ATR IN FORTNIGHT

Yavatmal, February 13



The Division Bench of Mumbai High Court of Nagpur comprising of Justice Ambadas Joshi and Justice R.C Chavan has ordered Maharashtra govt. to submit a report of status on their on action taken report within 15 days in matter of Kolam tribal death writ today.

The court has made the order while hearing the public interest litigation (PIL) filed by Kishor Tiwari of Vidarbha Jan Andolan Samiti after the news of Kolam tribal deaths due to starvation rocked the Maharashtra State a couple of years ago.

The high court appointed the committees over committees and received action taken reports over action reports in this regard but of no avail.

The Petitioner Kishor Tiwari today strongly objected the govt. of Maharashtra's submission and told to high court that govt. of Maharashtra is not serious in saving Kolam tribals in Vidarbha as they have acted just against their action taken report in areas of health care, food supply, housing, child and women welfare etc. He pointed out that the Govt has reduced the staff and fund on these programmes and over thousand Kolam tribals have been deleted from the list of BPL families in the recent past. The ICDS scheme has completely failed and more malnutrition and child deaths have been reported in the Vidarbha.

The High Court was shocked to learn from the govt. reply on the final report that Kolam tribals are asked to go to work 140 k.m. away from their actual habitat and they have not even provided basic facilities of shelter, food and education. The govt. has misused the 9% reserved fund meant for tribals for the salaries of babus in the state which is against the constitutional provision, Kishor Tiwari informed the court.

The Kolam starvation PIL has been listed in next 15 days .Adv.Firdoz Mirza has appeared for the petitioner and Adv.Bharati Dangare AGP appeared for the govt. of Maharashtra.