Tripura government denied reports of a starvation situation prevailing in tribal majority Dhalai district. The refutation came after Dhalai district magistrate visited places where people were allegedly facing hunger.
District Magistrate Vikas Singh in his report to the state government said the tribal households found to be in possession of sufficient food grains harvested in past two months and were preparing for fresh cultivation. He claimed that local indigenous people living in hills have been sanctioned adequate work mandays under the MGNREGA to support their living.
The district magistrate led a team of senior government officials to inspect tribal hamlets where people were allegedly starving for want of food and work. They interacted with residents who were reportedly facing hunger.
Vikash Singh stated they met an elderly woman Ishanbati Reang Dhankaraipara whose name was doing a round in starvation situation reports. “She is physically crippled and stays by rotation at her son’s and daughter’s house in same location”, he said.
Both houses have sufficient stock of food grains, Mr Singh added. According to him some households even stored food grains for three four months.
The state government earlier directed the district magistrate to conduct an on the spot verification on alleged starvation situation and submit a report. The district magistrate termed allegations farcical.
Latest controversy on starvation situation preceded claims by CPI(M) leader and MP Jitendra Choudhury over displacement of tribal residents from Dhalai district owing to starvation and discontinuation of flagship programmes like MGNREGA. Mr. Choudhury even alleged that starvation forced a good number of poor tribal families to migrating to Chittagong Hill Tracts of Bangladesh which state government vehemently denied.
