Members of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Social Justice and Empowerment questioned the government over its response to the deaths of Baiga tribe children in Madhya Pradesh ’s Balaghat district, asking why there were no clear answers on the cause of the deaths several months after the first cases were reported.
The panel met representatives of the Ministry of Tribal Affairs, the Ministry of Jal Shakti’s Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation, and the Department of Telecommunications to review the implementation of the Pradhan Mantri Janjati Adivasi Nyaya Maha Abhiyan (PM-JANMAN). The PM-JANMAN scheme was approved by the Union Cabinet following the announcement of the Pradhan Mantri PVTG Development Mission in the Union Budget for 2023-24. The scheme has an outlay of ₹24,104 crore for three years, from 2023-24 to 2025-26, and aims to improve the socio-economic conditions of Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs).
The health crisis in remote tribal settlements of Balaghat has raised concerns over infectious diseases, malnutrition and access to healthcare, with children bearing the brunt of the illness. Members also demanded village-wise saturation reports, alleging that aggregate national figures did not reflect ground realities and presented a more favourable picture than conditions on the ground. The Tribal Affairs Secretary later informed the committee that Balaghat, which remained affected by Left-Wing Extremism until 2025, could not fully benefit from the scheme. More than 100 children received treatment by mid-August, while around 400 children were reported to have been hospitalised over six weeks. Sanctions for projects under 11 critical interventions are almost 95% complete in most of the interventions, while physical construction is underway, according to the government’s presentation to the committee.
Opposition members questioned why, despite the government’s claims of service saturation in villages identified under the PM-JANMAN, it did not have clear answers on the causes of the deaths, according to sources. Representatives of the Jal Shakti Ministry told the panel that they were not aware of the incident, according to sources. The Ministry said affected populations in the tribal settlements had been screened. Sources said shortcomings in implementation of the PM-JANMAN scheme drew criticism from members across party lines. A BJP MP questioned the implementation of the Centre’s “Har Ghar Nal Ka Jal” drinking water programme, stating that while tears were visible in tribal habitations, water was not.
