SC Commissioner asks Orissa to prepare protocol to stop starvation deaths

BHUBANESWAR: The Special Commissioner, appointed by the Supreme Court has directed the Orissa government to ‘take appropriate steps’ to ensure that no one dies of starvation. The Commission has also recommended to prepare a specific protocol to address this critical issue of hunger related deaths

In a letter to chief secretary Tarunkanti Mishra, the Commission has sought compliance within and action taken report within two months.

Some 400 people have been alleged to have died due to starvation in the state in the last nine years. Starvation death has emerged not only as a critical issue but also an incurable disease in the under-developed tribal areas.

With some 15 district declared as drought affected, the Commission apprehends severe food security crisis and hence directed the state to be pro-active to avoid any starvation deaths. The state government has declared 3,264 villages as drought affected.

The N.C. Saxena Commission for Food Security in its letter has sought a policy to face such an impending crisis. This will enable the administration to address the issue of food crisis at appropriate time.

The Commission also expressed its concern over the way the district administration goes on collecting proofs to deny starvation deaths in stead of addressing the situation in a proper manner. Most of the time, the authorities attribute physical ailments as the reasons of deaths of starved person.

Taking strong stand against such denial mode of the officials, the Commission has asked them to reach out the hungry people before they succumb to lack of food.