Jharkhand chief minister Hemant Soren on Wednesday directed the Garhwa district administration to ensure ration supplies to the tribal families, who were allegedly denied food supplies for 14 months.

The chief minister has also asked the Garwha deputy commissioner Shekhar Jamuar to take action against the guilty officials responsible for depriving the tribals, nearly 45 families, of their ration supplies.

The chief minister’s directive came after the rights outfit Jharkhand Janadhikar Mahasabha flagged the plight of 45 tribal families in Bijka village of Bhandaria block in Garhwa district, nearly 238km from Ranchi and tagged the chief minister on his X handle on Tuesday evening.

The beneficiaries of the ration supply have, in a video statement, alleged that they have not been getting their ration supplies despite having priority household (PH) ration cards and entitled for 5kg of food grains every month at subsidised price.

They have also alleged that the ration dealer has been asking them to take 3kg of food grains instead of 5kg. When they protested, the tribals were abused by the dealer.

The beneficiaries have also alleged that in the last 14 months they have lodged complaints at the block, district level and also with the state food commission but their problem has not been resolved so far.

Member of the state food commission, Shabnam Perween, admitted to receiving complaints from the villagers.

“As the commission has no chairperson, we can not take any decision. Despite this, I personally went to the village in January this year and heard their grievances. I had requested the deputy commissioner to sort out their problem by calling the villagers and arranging to provide them their outstanding rations, along with compensation. I have also also requested the deputy commissioner to tag the villagers with another ration dealer nearest to their location,” said Perween.

The food commission member also claimed that the administration officials blamed the villagers for not putting their thumb impression in the biometric system, which is required to avail ration.

Speaking to The Telegraph, social activist Manikchand Korwa, a resident of Garhwa district, who has been raising the issue of the aggrieved villagers, claimed that the villagers had refused to put their thumb impression as they were given less ration.

“The ration dealer had pressurised them to give their thumb impressions by giving 3-4 kilogram of ration instead of 5kg ration that they are entitled to. The villagers had refused to take less ration. The district administration had also asked the villagers to take two months of ration while assuring them to give them the remaining ration later. But, the villagers have lost their faith in the administration and want their 14 months’ ration all at once,” said Korwa.

Repeated calls on the official number of Garhwa deputy commissioner Shekhar Jamuar went unanswered.

Garhwa district supply official Ram Gopal Pandey said that they would be visiting the village again to sort out the problem. However, he claimed that the villagers were adamant against putting their thumb impression, which were hindering the ration supply.