Thirty years of uninterrupted governance naturally raises an expectation — that those in power would have addressed the most basic human needs. In Gujarat, the reality is unsettling. Five of its districts rank among the ten worst in India for malnutrition, which is at odds with the state’s cultivated image of progress.
BJP has been in power for the last thirty years in Gujarat.
According to the National Family Health Survey, the districts of Dang, Panchmahal, Narmada, Dahod, and Tapi rank in the top ten across India for malnutrition, an appalling indictment of governance in a state often hailed as a development model.
Exposing the grim state of affairs in Gujarat’s anganwadis, Gujarat Congress president Amit Chavda and senior Congress leader Jaynarayan Vyas stated that many regions still have no anganwadis at all. Where they do exist, these centres often operate from rented premises and, in many instances, from dilapidated structures. These anganwadis lack essential facilities like electricity and toilets, they said.
Vyas added with biting irony that not a single district of Gujarat figures in the top ten list of districts where nutrition is good.
According to the Gujarat Congress president, 39.7% of children in Gujarat are severely malnourished. Vyas further emphasised that 33 lakh children in the state are malnourished.
The infrastructure is in shambles: 1,032 anganwadis do not have potable drinking water, and 8,452 operate from dilapidated buildings. Vyas also highlighted a shocking failure of resource allocation, despite RO machines worth Rs 3.82 crore having been purchased, children are still denied potable water.
The Congress leaders also pointed out that, in violation of a Gujarat High Court order, anganwadi workers are not being paid adequately. Sources revealed that workers are being handed token amounts to cover internet expenses.
Sejal Dand of ANANDI, a non-profit organisation, told Vibes of India that the state has ignored a pressing health crisis. She observed that this important health issue has long been avoided, and argued that it is a political problem that cannot be solved by a micronutrient.
She cautioned that the government was not handling hunger the right way, and questioned what would happen if investment in human beings continued to be neglected. She also pointed out the severe lack of access to nutritious food.
Renu Khanna of SAHAJ, another non-profit, told Vibes of India that the issue stems from historical deprivation. She believes the situation is particularly dire in tribal regions and is closely linked to deforestation and the stripping away of rights.
A holistic approach that includes medical interventions is the need of the hour, she concluded.
Incidentally, at the two-day Chitan Shibir (a brainstorming session) of the Gujarat Government to be held in Valsad from November 13, malnutrition will come up for discussion. Sources confirmed that malnutrition is one of the key issues to be taken up for discussion.
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