All India Health Rights Campaign (NAPM) oppose the decision of Closure of Creches and Nutritional Feeding Centres in PVTG villages of Odisha

[napm india]

All India Health Rights Campaign (NAPM) opposes the decision of Closure of Creches and Nutritional Feeding Centres in PVTG villages of Odisha

7th Oct, 2024: Recently the Government of Odisha took the decision to shut down the Creches & nutritional feeding centers running particularly for PVTG communities (Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups), under the Odisha Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group Nutrition Empowerment Programme (OPNIP) with effect from 1st October 2024. The program aimed to address the nutritional issues of children and mothers by establishing creches and feeding centres in 12 districts: Angul, Deogarh, Gajapati, Ganjan, Kalahandi, Keonjhar, Malkangiri, Mayurbhanj, Nuapada, Rayagada, and Sundergarh. Reports indicate that the Tribal Department of Government of Odisha operated 61 creches and 272 child and maternal feeding centres in Odisha.

This abrupt closure has left these vulnerable communities without a crucial lifeline, especially at a time when the Government of India has launched such an extensive programme for tribal welfare. The nutritional status of these children will start deteriorating very soon with increased morbidity and mortality. The mothers will have to opt out of the labour force to take care of the children. The communities formed around the crèches will disperse leaving mothers without a support system. All this will seriously impact any gains made in past years and prove negative for the objectives of the Government of India’s extensive programme for tribal welfare.

All India Health Rights Campaign (NAPM) /  Rashtriy Swasthya Adhikar Abhiyan opposes this decision of Government of Odisha and has written a letter to Mr. Antar Sing Arya, Chairman of the National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (NCST) demanding continuation of these centers for improvement of nutritional status of children and mother from PVTGs communities in Odisha. [Letter Enclosed]

Endorsed by,

Dr. Anant Phadke, Prafulla Samantra, Prof Manoranjan Mohanty, Medha Patkar, Dr Ritu Priya, Veena Satrughna, Nikunj Bhutia, Devprasad Ray, Lingaraj, Rajkumar Sinha, Suhas Kolhekar, Anil Goswami, Suresh Rathore, Meera Sanghamitra, Dr. Swathi S.B., Kailash Meena, Amulya Nidhi, Dr. G.D. Verma, Rakesh Chandore, Latika Rajput

Contact: 8249023220, 9425311547 / 9821253773

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