Malnutrition deaths: Prohibitory orders in Palghar villages ahead of Pankaja Munde's visit

Days after Maharashtra Minister Vishnu Sawra faced the anger of tribals over malnutrition, the district administration here has issued prohibitory orders in two villages for tomorrow in view of Woman and Child Welfare Minister Pankaja Munde's scheduled visit there.

District Collector Abhijit Bhangar directed for orders under CrPC section 144 to be clamped in a radius of one km of Koch and Kalamwadi villages of Mokhada taluka tomorrow from 7.00 am to 8.00 pm, an official release said. The prohibitory orders have also been issued as some local activists may disrupt Munde's visit. The order has been issued due to the visit of Munde to the villages to meet the family members of the two children who recently died due to malnutrition, it said.

Last week, Sawra had faced the anger of a tribal woman whose two-year-old son died last month apparently due to severe malnutrition in Palghar district, the video of which went viral on social media. The Tribal Development Minister had gone to meet the distraught family members, residing in a thatched house at Khoch village and comfort them. However, the woman, overcome by grief, vented her anger at Sawra, who is also the Guardian Minister of Palghar.