High Court seeks reply from Maharashtra government on starvation death

NAGPUR: The Nagpur bench of Bombay High Court today directed Maharashtra government to file an affidavit on alleged non-implementation of National Food Security Act, 2013, following a report of starvation death in Gondia district.

The bench of Justices Bhushan Gavai and Indu Jain asked the Principal Secretary, Food and Civil Supplies, to file a detailed affidavit within two weeks.

The order came on a public interest litigation filed by Vidarbha Jan Andolan Samiti president Kishore Tiwari who alleges that government failed to implement Food Security Act which led to the starvation death.

Lalita S Rangari, a 36-year-old Dalit widow and a mother of two children, one of whom suffers from visual impairment, allegedly died because of starvation a few days ago in Gondia district's Tiroda area.

The government has failed to identify the `eligible and priority' households under NFS Act after it came into force on September 10, 2013. The reduction in supply of foodgrains through the public distribution system was also causing a great hardship to the poor, the PIL says.

To date, the state government has not framed any guidelines to implement the Act, the PIL says, seeking a direction to the government to implement it. It also demands a probe into the woman's death and compensation to her family.

The next hearing would be on July 22.