Bangalore: Four days after the death of a five-year old girl due to malnutrition, her family has finally been given an Antyodaya ration card, meant for Below Povert Line (BPL) families.
But the state government has denied that the five-year-old Meghala died of malnutrition. The government claimed that she had succumbed to pneumonia instead. She weighed just 12 kg at the time of her death. Meghala, daughter of a blind beggar, succumbed to pneumonia after her immunity levels dropped.
Ironically, the family had been issued an above poverty line ration card, which meant that Meghala was not the recepient of many government schemes meant to combat hunger. Meghala used to live with her mother Murugamma and elder sister amidst garbage in a tin shack put together by NGOs in India's information technology capital.
The state government had admitted to lapses. "This is an eye-opener for us. We will coordinate with women and child department to go to micro level," Karnataka Health Minister UT Khader had said.
The state health and women and child development ministers met the victim's mother on Monday and assured her support in processing her disability and widow pension, besides getting her a house sanctioned under government schemes.
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