The commissioners had received a complaint from a local organisation in December about starvation in the four villages — Parva I, Parva II, Parva III and Kamtuli — under Chakma Autonomous District Council. The villages comprise around 800 families.
According to the complaint, the families, comprising around 4,000 persons, have been starving for several weeks and a majority of them are extremely poor. The situation is even more serious as these villages are located in remote areas, near the Myanmar border.
“It has come to our notice that from October last, foodgrains under the public distribution system have not been issued to families below the poverty line and to Antyodya Anna Yojana cardholders in these villages. The nearest godown in Longpuighat, from which several ration shops, including Parva, draw their foodgrains quota, has no stock of rice,” said the commissioners’ directive, asking the government to investigate these reports and state the reasons for non-supply of foodgrains to the godown.
A Supreme Court order, dated October 29, 2002, clearly states that the state is responsible for any starvation death occurring in its jurisdiction. The order also directs the government to initiate necessary action to prevent such incidence and report back within one month.
In the directive, the commissioners have asked the state government to undertake a survey in all these villages and identify the families who suffer from acute malnutrition, identify starvation and hunger-related deaths, if any, and share information on the coverage of all food and livelihood schemes such as Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS), National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA) and pensions in Lawngtlai district.
N.C. Saxena, the commissioner and harsh mander, special commissioner of the office of Supreme Court Commissioners, issued the directive on January 5.
Saxena has also asked the government to ensure that all Below Poverty Line and Antyodya Anna Yojana cardholder families should be provided their quota of grain for the present month and also the backlog from October.
The government has also been directed to ensure that all persons who do not have ration cards and have applied for a card, should be provided foodgrains within a month.
On December 28 last year, the Mizoram Chakma Development Forum had complained to the Supreme Court Commissioners that the state government had done nothing to end the plight of the villagers despite repeated appeals.
The forum submitted petitions to C. Ralkapa, deputy commissioner of Lawngtlai district, and Vanhela Pachuau, chief secretary of Mizoram, on December 23 to apprise them of the situation.