Not a single State has provided data on starvation deaths: Central government to Supreme Court

The Supreme Court today asked the Central government to work in conjunction with the States to provide data on starvation deaths, hunger and malnutrition across the country..A Bench of Chief Justice of India NV Ramana and Justices Surya Kant and Hima Kohli called for the same while hearing a petition seeking directions to the Centre, States and Union Territories (UTs) to formulate a scheme for community kitchens to combat hunger and malnutrition..During today's hearing, the Court was told that the Centre had devised a policy to this end, which was placed on affidavit..Appearing for the Centre, Attorney General KK Venugopal informed the Bench that not a single state had provided data on starvation deaths.CJI Ramana then said,"So there are no starvation deaths in the country?"The AG then cited a recent case where a 5-year-old in Tamil Nadu was suspected to have died due to starvation death as there was no food in his intestine.The CJI then pointed out,"...National Family Health Survey (2010-2013) has been filed published by Centre and cause of death says malnutrition is 25 per cent for males and 30 per cent for females...Why don't you produce before us some report by Government of India? Is there any survey report indicating position on starvation death?".The Court eventually said that it would not frame a scheme today, and that it would wait for the Centre to provide some data on starvation deaths..AG Venugopal then said,"...affidavit says that no states has reported such deaths, but you must also look at the stand of states."CJI Ramana then highlighted that States like Odisha, Jharkhand, Maharashtra, Punjab and West Bengal run community kitchens, but were dependent on the Centre for funds.When the AG said that the Centre had introduced 130 schemes to combat hunger issues, in which lakhs of crores were spent, the Court said,"Government of India cannot take this as an adversarial litigation. You must have a practical approach like Hare Ram Hare Krishna or Akshayapatra."The AG insisted that the states have to find the problem and each panchayat has to devise the process in the area, after which the Centre could provide funds..At this point, Justice Kohli said,"How can we rely on five year old data? Are you making a statement that there are no starvation deaths in the country now?"The AG replied,"...malnutrition exists and is not disputed by the Centre and this community kitchen is not disputed. Thus only question is on funding...we can frame a scheme to provide 2 percent additional food grains to the states. Let them provide data on community kitchen, who will supervise it etc."The Judge suggested that a combined affidavit be filed which will contain the data provided by the states to the Centre.Towards the end of the hearing, CJI Ramana told the AG,"We are not on starvation, or people dying of hunger. Our focus is on that people should not suffer from hunger. You have to discuss with your officers to come up with a nodal scheme.".The matter will be taken up after two weeks, by which time the States are required to file additional affidavits disclosing data on malnutrition, hunger and other issues.