Act, dont debate, on hunger deaths

BHUBANESWAR: Amidst allegation of three starvation deaths in Nuapada district, a Supreme Court-appointed Commissioner on Food Security on Friday asked the State Government to immediately respond to the situation.“The Government must identify hunger and severe malnutrition pockets and ensure that the people are not denied their right to food,” Special Commissioner on Food Security Harsh Mander said.“There should not be debate on how a person died. The debate should be on whether hunger prevails in the area where starvation death reports came,” Mander told mediapersons. “Mere denial of hunger deaths will not help solve the problem,” he said, adding that the administration should keep track of condition of distressed families and provide assistance to overcome poverty situation in the aftermath of starvation deaths in their families.Mander said schemes such as Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS), Old Age Pension, Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS), Midday Meal (MDM) should be implemented and adequate foodgrain under public distribution system provided.He said though the State Government has taken certain steps for improvement in PDS, its response to address hunger is not up to the mark.State adviser to the SC-appointed Commissioner in Odisha, R K Mishra, said people in Sinapali area did not receive rice under PDS for the last five months.“Since 91 per cent of the crops were damaged due to drought, the people have been passing through a difficult phase,” he said. The commissioner also reviewed implementation of Supreme Court directives on supplementary nutrition programme (SNP) involving self-help groups (SHGs), mahila mandals in purchase of food stuff and preparation of meals, decentralisation of production of take home rations through SHGs and functioning of the anganwadi centres.The Government informed the commissioner that it has submitted proposals for opening 1,500 anganwadi centres on demand from the people and another 1,700 new centres to the Centre for clearance.