Tribal deaths: Bhatia stands his ground

Commissioner of Tribal Research and Training Institute Arun Bhatia today stuck to his stand that tribal children in Nandurbar and Thane districts of Maharashtra died due to malnutrition.

In a strongly-worded reply to the showcause notice served on him, Bhatia said: ‘‘Under what rule is the bureaucrat meant to tell lies on issues like poverty and death to support the government.’’ He had earlier contradicted the government’s stand on the cause of deaths in tribal areas.

Stating that children continue to die due to malnutrition while politicians and senior bureaucrats continue to insist that deaths are not malnutrition related, Bhatia asked: ‘‘When money meant for diet supplementation of tribal mothers is openly misaproppriated, what do you call this type of governance.’’