The State Government on Tuesday denied claims of a family in Deoghar district that one Rooplal Marandi (75) had died of starvation due to unavailability of PDS food grains and ration. The district administration probe committee stated in its report that the man died his natural death due to old age and did not die for want of food.
“A report was sought from the district administration, which confirmed that the family was provided ration for September and they have all proof in this regard. Official and electronic records could not be refuted,” said Food and Civil Supplies Minister Saryu Roy.
After death of Marandi on Monday, allegedly due to starvation, voices are being more vigorously raised against the flaws in the State’s Public Distribution System. Marandi, according to her daughter Manodi Marandi, Rooplal died as he had not taken food for two days after being denied ration for two consecutive months.
Manodi claimed that despite taking thumb impression on her ration card and register of the PDS shop as well, she was being denied ration for the last two months by the PDS dealer saying that the biometric machine was not able to recognizing her thumb impression.
“When I went to the dealer in September, I was asked to put my thumb impression on the ration card and also took it on his register but did not give ration to me saying that the machine was not recognising the thumb impression. When it was repeated again in October, we short fall of food grains in the house forcing us to remain hungry for two days,” said Manodi.
Having no other male member in the family, Rooplal was being supported by two of his daughters, who had been living with him after the death of their husbands. Rooplal and his daughters used to earn their living by working as daily wage labourers but due to heavy rains for the last few days, they had not been able to find jobs for them. Rooplal had not been able to go far away from the village due to the old age and some bone injuries.
labour, Employment, Training and Skill Development Minister Raj Paliwar, who visited Bhagwanpur village under Mohanpur Block of Deoghar, also asserted that the official records said that Manodi had been given ration of September and had also taken kerosene for the month of October.
“As it is being claimed that she was denied ration for September and October, I have asked the Deputy Commissioner to get the matter investigated thoroughly and
Govt denies ‘hunger’ death cry from Deoghar take stringent action against those found responsible for it,” said Rajpaliwar. He, however, expressed surprise that if Marandi was hungry for three days, the matter was not discussed with anybody in the village by the family members.
When Media persons entered Rooplal’s house for fact finding, no food grain was found there. The district administration, however, has arranged 50 kg of rice along with some cash for the family following the incident.
Meanwhile, the body of Rooplal was cremated on Tuesday without postmortem following the opposition of the villagers when the District Administration tried to lift the dead body for postmortem.
Incidentally, Rooplal Marandi’s death which took place in Deoghar on Monday was third consecutive death, allegedly due to hunger, during the last fortnight in Jharkhand.