Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) on Wednesday, 16 September launched a sharp attack on the Maharashtra government, accusing it of leaving tribal communities in districts like Nandurbar and Gadchiroli without basic roads, ambulances, healthcare staff, or essential medicines. The critique was published in an editorial in the party's mouthpiece, Saamana, and cited two recent incidents as evidence of life-threatening administrative failure.

What the Saamana Editorial Said

The editorial accused Maharashtra's rulers of celebrating "rapid development" while fundamental amenities remain absent in remote tribal belts. "Maharashtra's rulers beat their drums about reforms day in and day out, yet this progress has failed to reach the state's remote tribal areas. The struggle and long treks of poor tribals for medical treatment continue unabated," it stated. The Thackeray camp alleged the administration was "dangerously lethargic and unresponsive to judicial warnings."

Two Incidents That Exposed the Gap

The editorial cited a harrowing case from Vehgi-Baripada in Nandurbar district, where a pregnant woman, Phulwanti Devram Padvi, was carried 7 kilometres through the night on a makeshift bamboo-and-cloth stretcher — locally called a jholi — because no roads or river bridges existed. She delivered her child at the Pimpalkhuta health centre and was subsequently carried back the same 7 km on the same stretcher with her newborn.

In a second incident from Gadchiroli district, grieving parents were reportedly forced to walk 15 kilometres carrying the bodies of their two deceased children on their shoulders after local authorities provided neither an ambulance nor a hearse vehicle.

Structural Problems Flagged

Beyond the two incidents, the editorial drew attention to recurring failures across tribal districts: school children crossing rivers on rope bridges, snakebite deaths among girls sleeping on hostel floors for want of beds, and persistent child malnutrition deaths in regions like Melghat. The Thackeray camp invoked a prior observation by the Bombay High Court that "child malnutrition among tribals is not an isolated problem, but a failure of government machinery."

Dig at Fadnavis Over 'Smart Healthcare'

The editorial directed pointed criticism at Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis over his government's promotion of "smart" and "digital" healthcare services. "Before flying the kite of 'digital and smart healthcare', the state government must first halt the daily struggles, build basic roads, and ensure emergency transportation for tribal communities," the editorial concluded. This comes amid the ruling Mahayuti alliance's ongoing push to brand Maharashtra as a technology-led governance success story — a framing that critics argue rings hollow in districts where the most basic health infrastructure is absent.

Broader Context

Nandurbar and Gadchiroli have historically ranked among Maharashtra's most underserved districts, with tribal populations accounting for a significant share of residents. Successive governments have announced welfare schemes for these regions, yet ground-level delivery has repeatedly drawn censure from courts, civil society organisations, and now opposition parties. The Shiv Sena (UBT) editorial signals that tribal welfare will be a central opposition plank ahead of forthcoming political contests in the state.