

Minister Vishnu Savara had gone to meet the distressed family living in a small hut at Khoch village in Mokhada, when the mother lost her calm and asked Savara, "Where were you when my son died. You are coming after 15 days. We do not want to meet you".

Infuriated villagers also expressed their anger at the failure of the Savara's administration to tackle the misery of malnutrition in the tribal-dominated area, which is approximately 150 km away from Mumbai.



THE BRUTALITY OF IT

When they told him that 600 children had died this year and asked what he had done for them, he said, "So what?". The government is doing its work, implementing schemes".

It was only a matter of time when the irate villagers and the mother of the dead child chased him away, and to this he said, "If you don't want me to come, then I won't".



MISERY OF MOKHADA VILLAGE AND OTHER DISTRICTS

Recently, according to a Gulf News report, it was found that nearly 28% children were severely underweight at the health camps in Mokhada. Since July 2016, 17 children have died of malnutrition in Mokhada alone.

Last year, as many as 1,274 children below six years died of malnutrition in three districts - Nandurbar amounts to 662 deaths, Palghar 418 deaths, and Thane 194 deaths - all in ten months.

According to the World Bank, India has the highest number of children suffering from malnutrition.