Time and again, deaths due to Aadhaar card not linked to ration card has been reported in the state of Jharkhand. Again, two more deaths have reported due to the deceased unable to get their Aadhaar cards linked to their ration cards.
According to food rights activists, these two deaths have taken the number of deaths due to starvation in Jharkhand up to 17 since 2017.
The first death was reported from Mahuatanr village on November 11 where 45-year old Kaleshwar Soren died of hunger. The Wire reported that A fact-finding team from the Right to Food Campaign, Jharkhand found out that the deceased’s ration card was cancelled as it was not linked to Aadhaar.
Kaleshwar’s ration card was cancelled in 2016, post which he was asked to submit his Aadhaar to make his ration card valid but he could not submit his Aadhaar as he had misplaced it.
According to The Wire, Kaleshwar had become very weak over the last couple of years and was surviving on the food given to him by his neighbours.
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The second Aadhaar-related death was reported from Gumla district on October 25, where 75 year-old Seeta Devi dies due to starvation.
Due to her illness, Seeta Devi could not go to the ration shop in October to authenticate her identity. Also, as her account was not linked with Aadhaar, she could not even get old age pension.
In May, two starvation deaths had been reported from Jharkhand. Between September and December last year, Jharkhand witnessed four deaths due to the same reason, starvation.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led Jharkhand government has time and again failed in ensuring regular food supply to the state’s poor.
While the BJP has Rs. 4,300 crore to spend on advertisement and publicity, it cannot spend financial resources on the poor and needy of the country, who struggle to get even two meals a day.