The Hindu Business Line : NGO moves SC on starvation at Bengal tea gardens

THE West Bengal Network for Right to Food and Work, a non-governmental organisation, has alleged that more than 1,000 deaths have taken place during October-December 2003 on account of starvation in the tea gardens of Jalpaiguri district in North Bengal.

The NGO conducted a detailed survey of the region and prepared a report, which has been given to the Supreme Court. Though the matter is currently being heard, the apex court has already ordered the State Government to take immediate corrective steps.

Addressing a press conference, Mr Swapan Ganguly of the NGO said the West Bengal government has kept on denying the starvation deaths in the North Bengal tea gardens. Even in its reply to the petition filed in the Supreme Court, it stated that majority of the deaths had taken place due to "other causes".

Mr Ganguly asked: "What are these other causes? According to our survey it is only starvation. We are trying to tell everybody that there is a crisis. The state government has also accepted it in an indirect manner because they have brought the total affected population under the BPL category," Mr Ganguly said.

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