File Photo of Maharashtra minister Vishnu Sawra.
Maharashtra minister Vishnu Sawra on Thurday faced the anger of a tribal woman whose two-year-old son died last month apparently due to severe malnutrition in Palghar district, the video of which has gone viral on social media.
The Tribal Development Minister went to meet the distraught family members, residing in a thatched house at Khoch village in Mokhada taluka, and comfort them. However, the woman, overcome by grief, vented her anger at Mr Sawra, who is also Guardian Minister of Palghar.
"Where were you when my son died. You are coming after 15 days. We do not want to meet you," the woman was heard telling Mr Sawra in the video.
Other villagers also expressed their anger at the administration's "failure" to address the problem of malnutrition in the tribal-dominated taluka, which is not very far from Mumbai.
Asking the minister what had he done for malnourished children, the villagers alleged that they did not get any help from the government and had to "beg" for money to treat the child, who was taken to a health camp in Jawhar taluka earlier this year and then sent home.
However, later the toddler's condition worsened and he was rushed to Nashik Civil Hospital last month where he died reportedly due to severe malnutrition.
Mr Sawra told the villagers the government is taking steps to tackle the problem of malnutrition. However, the villagers claimed that over 600 children had died in the district due to malnutrition since January last.
In the video, the minister and the villagers are seen having heated argument and Mr Sawra left after his efforts to pacify the villagers failed.
Governor C Vidyasagar Rao held a meeting on Wednesday with Mr Sawant, Mr Sawra and Pankaja Munde, the Women and Child Development Minister, and gave them direction to take steps to prevent death from malnutrition. After the meeting Mr Sawra decided to visit Mokhada.
On Tuesday, Health Minister Deepak Sawant had visited Mokhada taluka and met the two families who had lost their children due to malnutrition.