Jajpur: Malnutrition continues to threaten the health of children in the tribal pockets of Bitsahi and Nagada in Sukinda block of Jajpur district, with concerns mounting over inadequate access to nutritious food, healthcare, and essential welfare support.

The plight of vulnerable families has once again brought the spotlight on gaps in food security and the difficulties faced by tribal households in accessing government benefits.

Child rights and tribal rights activist Mantu Das raised the issue at a public grievance hearing in Sukinda block on Monday, submitting a complaint to the District Collector and seeking urgent intervention to safeguard the health and nutritional needs of affected children.

“No child should be deprived of nutritious food and essential healthcare because a family lacks Aadhaar or other documents. The administration must ensure that every eligible tribal family receives ration benefits and that malnourished children get timely treatment and nutritional support,” informed Mantu Das, child rights and tribal rights activist.

Nutrition crisis

1. Malnutrition persists: Children in Bitsahi and Nagada villages under Sukinda block continue to face nutritional and healthcare challenges
2. Ration access disrupted: Around seven tribal families in Bitsahi reportedly face difficulties accessing ration benefits due to Aadhaar and mobile number issues
3. Urgent intervention sought: Activist Mantu Das has urged the administration to restore ration supplies and ensure medical treatment and nutritional support for affected children.

Das urged the administration to ensure immediate restoration of ration supplies, resolve Aadhaar-related difficulties and provide timely medical treatment and nutritional support to children suffering from malnutrition. He also stressed the need for regular health check-ups to identify nutritional deficiencies and prevent their condition from worsening.

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According to Das, several Scheduled Tribe families have been deprived of ration supplies because they lack Aadhaar cards or mobile phone numbers. Around seven tribal families in Bitsahi are reportedly facing such difficulties.

The disruption of subsidised food supplies has raised concerns about the nutritional security of children in these households. For families with limited resources, losing access to ration benefits can make it harder to ensure a regular and adequate food supply, further increasing the vulnerability of children already affected by malnutrition.

The matter has also entered the judicial arena. Das said a public interest litigation (PIL), numbered 12966/2023, had been filed in the Odisha High Court, with the Central Government made a party to the case.

He maintained that eligible beneficiaries should not be denied food security benefits merely because they lack the necessary documents, emphasising the importance of protecting children's rights to nutrition and food security.

Das said the administration had assured him that the grievances would be addressed at the earliest.

For the vulnerable families of Bitsahi and Nagada, timely intervention could prove critical in protecting children's health and preventing malnutrition from becoming a deeper crisis.