18 hunger deaths recorded in Andhra Pradesh; Six in Hyderabad
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Hyderabad: Andhra Pradesh was one of the very few states in the country where starvation deaths were recorded in 2012. As many as 18 starvation deaths were reported in the state in the last year, according to the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB).
The NCRB report said there were six starvation deaths in Hyderabad, the highest among major cities in the country. Even states considered backward, such as Odisha and Chhattisgarh, have not recorded any starvation deaths in the past few years.
The AP government has, however, denied any such deaths to have occurred. The NCRB data shows seven starvation deaths in 2011 in AP and a high of 35 such deaths in 2010. About 187 starvation deaths have been reported in the state since the turn of the century.
Minister for revenue N. Raghuveera Reddy refuted the possibility of such deaths in the state and said he would conduct an inquiry if it is actually true: “It cannot be. No deaths due to starvation have come to my notice to date. There is absolutely no possibility of it.”
Collector can be held, if death is reported
Refuting the possibility of starvation deaths in the state, minister for revenue N. Raghuveera Reddy said, “If it is indeed true since the NCRB is saying so, we will have to find the families of those who died. I will order an inquiry into this if it is true. If it is true, forget about the government, it is a shame on society. We have so many schemes for the poor, this can’t happen.”
Social activists say the government will never accept the truth that starvation deaths do occur. Director of the Centre for Environment and Food Security said Parshuram Ray, “If this is actually happening then it is a very serious issue. I have heard about such deaths. But even if it is a government agency that is saying there are starvation deaths, the government will deny it.”
Ray said the government should not question its own agency. “NCRB is not manufacturing data sitting in New Delhi,” he pointed out.
A death is due to starvation if the post-mortem report says that no food was eaten for the last two weeks. “If a starvation death has been reported in a district, the Collector can be held responsible. There is a Supreme Court judgement on this. Courts should take note of it,” Ray said.
Such deaths reflect the exclusion of large sections of society from the country’s growth story. Moreover, much government money is pumped into schemes for the poor such as the employment generation scheme, MNREGA.
Pro vice-chancellor of the University of Hyderabad Prof E. Haribabu said, “It’s a shame. We should ensure that the food that is produced is distributed equally. There should be a monitoring system in place for the PDS. We see many times that food doesn’t reach the right people.”
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