Maharashtra ranks fifth in the country in the number of underweight children, and in the financial capital Mumbai, as much as 26 per cent of children are malnourished, a report by the state legislature's Public Accounts Committee (PAC) today said.
The PAC report on the Women and Child Development (WCD) Department also noted that despite efforts, the proportion of malnourished children in the state still lingers at 19 per cent.
In Mumbai, 26.48 per cent children are malnourished, while in Amravati district 19.52 per cent children are underweight, compared to the state's average of 18.85 per cent, the report, tabled in the Assembly today, said.
"Earlier, the malnutrition percentage in the state was 19 and it was proposed to bring it down to 15 per cent. When the PAC asked about current status, it was told that it could not be brought down by even half percentage point," the report said.
"The real problem is not the schemes but their implementation," the committee stated, adding that the WCD Department comes out with new schemes every year, but in vain.
The PAC also said that the reasons given for malnourishment in Amravati district -- hilly terrain and heavy rains in the Melghat region -- were not convincing.
Similarly, for Mumbai, influx of migrants was not a good enough reason, the committee said, adding that negligence and carelessness of WCD officials was more to blame.
The Department also told the PAC that another reason for high proportion of malnourished children in Mumbai was that self-help groups providing nutritious food to schools and nurseries were not monitored properly.
But the committee said it should not be an excuse to ignore the situation.
The government should take urgent steps to improve the situation and submit a report in three months, the PAC said.
Disclaimer: No Business Standard Journalist was involved in creation of this content
