Mid-Day Impact: MSHRC seeks report from Raigad collector over tribal women deaths

The Maharashtra State Human Rights Commission MSHRC taking cognisance of the complaint filed over the over the non existence of roads in tribal areas in Raigad has issued notice to the district collector and also sought a lsquofact finding reportrsquo in the first week of MarchThe action comes based on a complaint filed by a local activist claiming that in less than three months two tribal women from Kausawadi in Pen Taluka lost their lives as they could not be transported to the nearest subdistrict hospital in time due to non existene of roadsDuring emergencies tribals are forced to carry patients or pregnant women in makeshift cloth cradles over a 4ndash5 km stretch to reach the nearest road the complaint mentioned midday had earlier published an article dated November 16 2024 A copy of the article is part of the complaintActivist speakSantosh Thakur founderpresident of Gram Samvardhan Samajik Sanstha confirmed the SHRC notice sent to the collector and the copy received by him ldquoI had given a written complaint on November 22 2024 highlighting the plight of tribals living in Kausawadi and even mentioned the demise of two women in a span of three monthsrdquo Thakur saidTribals are forced to use roads that are unmotorable in emergenciesHe added ldquoThe irony is that even after three months have passed nothing is happening at the ground level the situation remains unchanged tribals are deprived of their road even after a work order was issued in January 2024 and a mud road contract of Rs 60 lakh was issued to an influential contractor but authorities failed to hold him accountable under the defect liability clauserdquoAdvocate speakAdvocate Siddharth Ingle who is fighting a pro bono case for Thakur said ldquoThe SHRC prima facie has found material in our plea and therefore has now issued notice to the Raigad collector seeking a factfinding report within a month Our complaint shows the plight of trials living in these hamlets and it clearly violates the fundamental rights of the tribals and sheer dereliction of duty of the government and its officers The upliftment of tribals and their welfare remain on paper even today which is unfortunaterdquoTribal deathAmbi Raghya Kadu 43 a resident of Kausawadi passed away on November 7 due to a lack of timely medical care After her husband Raghyarsquos death she lived with her 18yearold son Navsaya while her daughter Anita 29 lived separatelyOn November 3 Navsaya and neighbours carried her down the hill to a private doctor who administered saline and prescribed medication However as her condition worsened on November 6 Navsaya with help from the community carried his mother in a cloth cradle to reach the motorable road which took over 15 hours She was admitted to a hospital in Pen and later referred to Alibaug Civil Hospital where she died in the ICUOther sideDr Baharat Bastewad CEO Raigad Zilla Parishad said ldquoI am not aware of the SHRC notice sent to the district collectorrdquo When asked about the status of the road connectivity in Kausawadi he said ldquoThe said area Kausawadi does not come under my purview it comes under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana PMGSY a separate department in Raigad which constructs roads in tribal hamlets under PMGSYrdquoldquoIn a recent meeting with the executive engineer of PMGSY specifically for the Kausawadi tribal hamlet incident it was informed that some parts of the land parcels are owned by private landowners The PMGSY department has already made a submission to them seeking their NOC for road constructionrdquo said BastewadSpeaking on the issue Sarika Desai executive engineer PMGSY Raigad said ldquoI had personally surveyed the Kausawadi proposed road area and found that there were some issues with the alignment approved and the actual excavation work carried out at the site in some parts As there are changes in the variation and scope of work I have sent the revised proposal to the superiors for approvalrdquoWhen asked if the proposed road stretch also has land parcels belonging to private landowners Desaid replied in the affirmative stating ldquoWe are in touch with private landowners for getting their NOCrdquo