The Bombay High Court strongly criticised the Maharashtra State Government on Wednesday for its "extremely casual" approach towards infant deaths resulting from malnutrition in the tribal-dominated Melghat region. The court described the situation as "horrific." A bench comprising Justices Revati Mohite Dere and Sandesh Patil noted that since June 2025 to date, 65 infants aged between zero and six months have died due to malnutrition in the Melghat area.
"This is horrific. The government should be worried and concerned," the High Court said.
The HC was hearing a bunch of public interest litigations highlighting the high number of deaths of children, pregnant women and lactating mothers due to malnutrition in the Melghat region of Amravati district in eastern Maharashtra.
The court noted that it has been passing orders on the issue since 2006, but while the government has been claiming that everything is in order on paper, the ground reality is different.
"This shows the seriousness you (government) have on the issue. The approach is extremely casual," the judges stated. "The government should be concerned. Sixty-five infants have died from June till now. You should be worried. Just as we are concerned, you all should be too. This is horrific," the bench reiterated.
The court lamented the situation, calling it "a very sorry state of affairs," and remarking that "The issue of public health is being taken so lightly by the government."
Urging the government to take the matter with the utmost seriousness, the High Court issued a directive for the personal attendance of the principal secretaries from four key state government departments: Public Health, Tribal Affairs, Women and Child, and Finance. They have been ordered to appear before the court on November 24.
Furthermore, the principal secretaries of these four departments must file individual affidavits detailing the specific steps they have taken to address the malnutrition crisis.
The High Court also suggested offering better incentives, such as higher pay, to doctors posted in such remote tribal areas, considering the difficult working conditions. "There has to be some accountability. You need to have some mechanism," the court concluded.
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