Union Minister for Food and Consumer Affairs Ram Vilas Paswan on Monday accused the Bihar Government of failing in its duty to provide food grains to the beneficiaries resulting into the reported starvation death of one Jago Manjhi in Sheikhpura district.
Paswan said a high-level team comprising two joint rank officers will arrive here to review the lifting of the food grains by the State Government and its distribution among the beneficiaries through PDS shops.
“If the State Government is lifting hundred per cent food grain supplied by the Centre why people are dying of starvationIJ This incident speaks volume of the governance in Bihar and Government’s public distribution system,” said the Minister.
However, within hours his allegation of starvation death was contradicted by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on the basis of the reports of the medical board which conducted autopsy of Manjhi. The report said that 72-year-old Manjhi was under treatment for one and a half months and the death was caused by liver cirrhosis and cardiac problems. The ward counsellor of Barbigha Prem Ranjan reported that Manjhi had procured 35 kg food grain under Antyodaya programme in January but could not in February due to his illness. He was also a recipient of old age pension. Manjhi’s wife is paralytic and their son works in Haryana.
Manjhi’s death on last Friday had created a political storm in Bihar with Opposition parties accusing Nitish Government for its failure in food grain supply to beneficiaries through the PDS shops.
Paswan said his Ministry was providing 1.83 lakh ton wheat and 2.74 lakh ton rice per month for 8.57 crore beneficiaries and the lifting by the then State Government was total.