NHRC notice to Jharkhand, WCD min over 'not getting nutrition' reports

The NHRC has issued a notice over a report which alleges that 55 per cent beneficiaries in 159 blocks did not get supplementary nutrition under a government scheme

The NHRC has issued a notice to the Jharkhand government and the Union Ministry of Women and Child Development over a report which alleges that 55 per cent beneficiaries in 159 blocks did not get supplementary nutrition under a government scheme, officials said on Tuesday.

Under the ICDS (Integrated Child Development Scheme), children between the age of six months to six years, and pregnant and lactating women are provided supplementary nutrition, pre-school non-formal education, nutrition and health education, immunisation, health check-up and referral services through anganwadi centres as well as through the health department, the NHRC said.

In a statement issued on Tuesday, it said that the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has taken suo motu of a media report based on a survey, which alleges that in 159 blocks of Jharkhand, 55 per cent beneficiaries did not get supplementary nutrition under the ICDS.

The Commission has observed that the contents of the media report, if true, raise a serious issue of violation of the right to food, which is one of the basic human rights, which the state is duty bound to protect.

Accordingly, it has issued a notice to the chief secretary, the government of Jharkhand and the secretary, Union Ministry of Women and Child Development, seeking a detailed report in six weeks.

According to the media report carried on July 6, the survey report of Right to Food Campaign is based on survey of 18,288 beneficiaries across 159 blocks in Jharkhand, who did not receive supplementary nutrition under the ICDS, even once in the first six months of this year. Allegedly, nutritional supplements worth Rs 200 crore were not given to the beneficiaries, the statement said.

Reportedly, in Jharkhand, every second child is stunted or underweight, and every third child is affected by stunting, and around 70 per cent children are anaemic as per the data of the National Family Health Survey, the rights panel said.