The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has sought an action-taken report (ATR) from the Food and Civil Supplies Secretary over status of hungry people in the State. Taking cognizance of a complaint filed by rights campaigner Sangita Swain the commission directed the Secretary to submit an ATR within eight weeks..
According to the complainant, while there are 19.7 crore of hungry people in the country, Odisha records the highest among the States violating human rights of the poor people. “The Union Government has failed to reduce the poverty rate while Bangladesh and Nepal has achieved the Millennium Development Goal (MDG),” alleged Swain.
Urging the commission to take immediate steps to reduce the hungriness to achieve the Millennium Development Goal, the petitioner requested the rights panel to take criminal action against the inaction of the concerned public authorities leading to the misery and bring justice to them.