Jharkhand primitive tribes on death trail, 20 die

Ranchi: Deaths of atleast 20 primitive tribals in Jharkhand during last one month has triggered a controversy with the state government attributing the deaths due to food poisoning while social workers say malnutrition caused the deaths.

Eight members of Birhor tribe and nine of Baiga in Hindiyakala village of Chatra district alone have died early this month, officials said.

Two members of the Birhor tribe died in Koderma district in the last one week while one death has been reported from Dumka district.

"In Hindiyakala, the Birhor tribals died due to hunger. They were not getting food grain from the public distribution system (PDS) for a long time," an advisor to a panel appointed by the Supreme Court to supervise the food security schemes in the state, Balram said.

"The claim of government officials that the tribals died due to food poisoning is a white lie," Balram said.

The Jharkhand government last week constituted a three-member committee headed by Welfare Secretary UK Sangama to assess the situation in the three districts and probe the cause of the deaths.

"We will submit our report to the Chief Secretary on Friday," Sangama said.

Jharkhand has 30 tribes, of which nine have been declared as primitive tribes. Their population is just 0.80 per cent of the states' 26.90 million population. The state government runs 10 schemes for them, among others, to provide jobs to youth who complete their schooling, food and housing but despite this, the population of the primitive tribes is declining and hunger deaths are reported, officials admit.

"We plan the programmes and ensure funds, but the schemes have to be implemented by the district administration," Sangama said.

"We will ensure free foodgrain for the primitive tribes. All necessary steps will be taken to prevent malnutrition among them," Jharkhand Chief Minister Shibu Soren said.