Bhubaneswar, Jan. 18: The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) today asked the Orissa government to submit a fresh report on starvation, health and education in the backward KBK (Kalahandi, Balangir and Koraput) belt. It also rejected the state government’s report denying starvation deaths in the region.

The directive came in the wake of the commission’s full bench headed by Justice K. G. Balkrishnan expressing concern over continued underdevelopment in the region in areas such as, health, education and public distribution system. The rights commission is here to conduct a two-day hearing on 62 cases of alleged human rights violation.

Senior officials including chief secretary Bijay Patnaik, director general of police Manmohan Praharaj, home secretary U.N. Behera, district collectors and district SPs attended the camp court.

Although both the Centre and the state have pumped in funds into the backward belt under the long-term action plan and the Biju KBK Yojana, the area continues to be in the news for the wrong reasons: 12 children in Nabarangpur died of malnutrition last year, there are reports of starvation deaths and unemployed labourers migrate from the region each year. Cholera claimed the lives of nearly 100 people last year in Rayagada district, part of the backward belt.

The secretary general of the rights commission, K.S. Muni said: “The rights commission has expressed dissatisfaction with the progress made in the KBK areas.” Issues such as malnutrition, mental health, scavenging and sanitation, bonded labour, child labour and food security also came up before the camp court.

The NHRC team began its hearing (held in a closed room) at 10.30 a.m. today. It continued till evening and will resume on Wednesday.

The commission rejected the Orissa government’s view that barbers were no longer considered bonded labourers. “Barbers should get daily wages for their work instead of ‘bartan’ (payment in paddy for the year’s work),” said an NRHC official. The commission also condemned the practice of barbers being asked to wash the feet of the landlords of their villages.

The rights panel also asked the government to submit a report on the status of the Tata steel project at Gopalpur. It took up the case of malnutrition deaths in Nabarangpur district and violation of human rights in Kandhamal district.

State government officials informed the commission that 62 cases of human rights violation in Kandhamal had been filed and 56 people had already been convicted. A judicial commission has been constituted to probe the Kandhamal riots.

The commission refused to make any comments on the Kandhamal issue.