Mumbai, Sep 16 (SocialNews.XYZ) In a scathing attack on the Maharashtra government, Shiv Sena Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray on Wednesday highlighted the persistent failure of basic healthcare and transport infrastructure in the state's remote tribal belts.
The Thackeray camp, in an editorial in the party's mouthpiece, 'Saamana', accused the administration of blowing the trumpet of "rapid development" while neglecting fundamental amenities in regions like Nandurbar and Gadchiroli.
"Maharashtra’s rulers beat their drums about reforms day in and day out, yet this progress has failed to reach the state's remote tribal areas. The struggle and long treks of poor tribals for medical treatment continue unabated," the editorial stated, pointing to a critical shortage of basic roads, emergency ambulances, hearse vehicles, healthcare staff, and essential medicines across rural belts.
The editorial cited two harrowing recent incidents to underline the human cost of the administrative lapses. "In Vehgi-Baripada from the tribal dominated Nandurbar district, a pregnant woman, Phulwanti Devram Padvi, was forced to trek seven kms late at night on a makeshift bamboo-and-cloth stretcher (jholi) due to the complete absence of roads and river bridges. After delivering her child at the Pimpalkhuta health centre, she and her newborn had to be carried back another seven kms on the same stretcher," it said.
In another incident, grieving parents in the remote Gadchiroli district were forced to walk 15 kms carrying the bodies of their two deceased children on their shoulders because no ambulance or hearse van was provided by local authorities, the editorial mentioned.
The editorial further brought attention to recurring structural issues in tribal districts, including school children forced to cross rivers via rope bridges, snakebite deaths among young girls sleeping on hostel floors due to a lack of beds, and persistent child malnutrition deaths in areas like Melghat.
Referencing a strong rebuke from the Bombay High Court, which previously observed that "child malnutrition among tribals is not an isolated problem, but a failure of government machinery," the Thackeray camp alleged that the state administration remained "dangerously lethargic and unresponsive to judicial warnings".
Taking aim at Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis over recent claims of introducing "smart" and "digital" healthcare services, the editorial urged the state to fix ground-level realities before promoting high-tech reforms.
"Before flying the kite of 'digital and smart healthcare', the state government must first halt the daily struggles, build basic roads, and ensure emergency transportation for tribal communities," the editorial concluded.
Source: IANS
Gopi Adusumilli is a Programmer. He is the editor of SocialNews.XYZ and President of AGK Fire Inc.
He enjoys designing websites, developing mobile applications and publishing news articles on current events from various authenticated news sources.
When it comes to writing he likes to write about current world politics and Indian Movies. His future plans include developing SocialNews.XYZ into a News website that has no bias or judgment towards any.
He can be reached at gopi@socialnews.xyz
This website uses cookies.
