The Bombay High Court has asked the Maharashtra government to consider “with an open mind” the suggestions given by petitioners and other groups for the benefit of the tribals in the Melghat area in the Amravati district in the state.
A division bench of Chief Justice Dipankar Datta and Justice MS Karnik, on Thursday, asked the government to submit its report on the implementation of the suggestions for tribals’ benefit while hearing a batch of public interest litigations (PIL) highlighting the issue of malnutrition and related deaths in Melghat and adjoining tribal areas.
The HC, on July 4, had directed the government to hold a virtual meeting of concerned stakeholders to identify common issues and come up with solutions.
Government pleader informed the HC that accordingly a meeting was held on July 6 of representatives of 17 departments. In this, the government received various suggestions from petitioners and other groups. The government pleader sought for some time to consider the suggestions that can be implemented.
However, Uday Warunjikar, advocate for one of the petitioners, said that several reports have been filed over the years, including one by Padma Shri Dr Abhay Bang and they are not implemented. He said that the situation has been the same for 28 years and nothing has changed. He said that one more report would only add to the bulk of the reports.
The judges, however, noted that the suggestions given in the report submitted by Dr Chhering Dorje, inspector general (Nashik range) in December 2021 have not been considered. In October 2021 Dorje was appointed as a special officer of the court to visit Melghat and affected areas and submit a report on what is to be done to prevent deaths.
The HC has granted three weeks’ time to the government to consider the suggestions “with an open mind” and “to ensure that the same are implemented to the extent possible”. “This would obviously require close coordination amongst all seventeen (17) departments of the Government. No stone should be left unturned by all these departments to act cohesively with a view to promoting the best interest of the tribal people,” noted the HC in its order.
The court has also asked the government to submit a report “indicating which of the suggestions received from the petitioners/non-governmental organisations (NGOs) have been implemented till date, which are in the process of being implemented, and which may not be implemented for reasons that ought to be indicated in such report”.
The HC has kept the PILs for hearing on August 11.
