BALASORE: The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has sought an action taken report (ATR) from the Bhadrak Collector to save more than 50 poor Scheduled Tribe families from starvation in Nua-Adivasi Colony at Geltua in Bhadrak district.
Acting on a petition filed by Supreme Court lawyer and rights activist Radhakanta Tripathy, the Commission has sought the ATR in four weeks.
Sources said Nandia Munda, Bela Munda and other villagers, who are living below poverty line in Nua-Adivasi Colony on the outskirts of Bhadrak district headquarters, were not supplied the items as per their ration cards.
Tripathy alleged that the Food Supplies Department in connivance with some unscrupulous elements had been adopting cheap tricks to deny basic entitlements to the poor villagers.
These families were displaced from their original habitation (Gaba Sahi) in 1996 for construction of houses for district officials. Though all of them had BPL cards when they were staying at Gaba Sahi, many were denied the Government benefit after they were shifted to Nua-Adivasi Colony. Some of them were also deprived of housing assistance under Indira Awas Yojana. The villagers had submitted a memorandum to the Collector, but the administration has not come to their help till date.