Land for family of ‘hunger death’ victim

RANCHI: Almost a month after the death of Santoshi Kumari (11) allegedly due to hunger, authorities in Simdega district have initiated steps to provide farm land and employment for her family.

On Tuesday, the district administration sent a team of agriculture department officials to look for a plot of tillable land for Santoshi's family. It said it would provide a house for family under the Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana.

Deputy commissioner (Simdega) Manjunath Bhajantri said, "We will look for a plot where Santoshi's family can carry out agricultural activities. We have found out that only one member of her family is linked to the NREGA. We will bring the rest of the family and other villagers under the NREGA."

She added, "Some years ago, Santoshi's family had got a house under the Indira Awaas Yojana, but it seems it has sold off the house. We will now give them a house under the PM Awaas Yojana."

The government's initiative comes a day after a team of the Jharkhand State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (JSCPCR) met Koili Devi, Santoshi's mother. The team directed the district administration to give her a house under the PM Awaas Yojana.

JSCPCR chairperson Arti Kujur said, "Koili Devi's family lives in abject poverty. Villagers living near her house say they had given foodgrains to her and helped her get medical treatment for Santoshi." She added, " Santoshi was suffering from fever for a few days before her death. Koili Devi said her neighbours had called a doctor for her daughter's treatment." Kujur didn't rule the possibility of malnutrition aggravating Santoshi's illness before her death.

Kujur said, "I have asked the district administration to provide ration cards and foodgrains to all villagers. A medical camp should be set up for the people living at Karimati and neighbouring areas so that their health and nutrition standards can be evaluated." The district authorities have posted a team of five police personnel outside Koili Devi's house and a jan sevak who will look after the daily needs of her family. "We have given her an immediate financial relief of Rs 50,000 and foodgrains," Bhajantri said.