HC raps govt failing to control malnutrition deaths

The Karnataka High Court warned of initiating a contempt case against the state government for failing to implement Justice N K Patil Committee recommendations on eradication of malnutrition.

A division bench, comprising Chief Justice Abhay S Oka and Justice Pradeep Singh Yerur, was hearing a suo motu PIL.

During the hearing, advocate for the government told the court that the government needs more time to submit the report on implementation of recommendations of Justice Patil Committee report on death of children due to malnutrition.

On October 21, the high court directed the government to file an affidavit on the implementation of the committee's recommendations during the next hearing.

During the hearing on Monday, the government advocate submitted that they need more time to file compliance report as it was working on the same.

The bench took exception to the request for more time and observed that the court had, on September 16, given directions to file the report by October 21. When the government sought time again, the court revised the deadline to November 18. "The government should take it as emergency and take serious steps to control the death of children due to malnutrition. No action has been taken in this regard. The court will initiate a contempt case if the compliance report is not submitted before November 20," the bench said.

The court had taken up a suo motu PIL in 2011 following a letter written by B L Patil of Vimochana Samsthe, Athani in Belagavi district to the the chief justice. In his letter, Patil expressed concerns over the death of children due to malnutrition in Raichur district and other parts of North Karnataka.

The then chief justice had taken up the matter in the larger interest of the society and converted into a PIL. The court constituted a nine-member committee headed by Justice N K Patil on April 12, 2012. The committee placed its report on August 23, 2013, with more than 100 recommendations. Later, the state government had accepted 87 recommendations.