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The authorities of Orissa's Rayagada district on Thursday said reports of starvation deaths were not true, even as the National Human Rights Commission issued notice to the state on reports of deaths caused by starvation.
While admitting that 19 deaths had taken place in Kashipur block since July 2001, District Collector Bishnupada Sethi claimed that the deaths were, however, not starvation-related.
"By no stretch of imagination, those could be called as starvation deaths," he said.
Giving details of the 19 deaths, Sethi said seven persons had died in Panasguda village after consuming food arranged by one Biswanath Majhi, who had called some labourers to work in his field. Both Majhi's family members and the labourers were among the dead, he said.
In Bilamala village, four persons had died after consuming poisonous mushroom by mistake, the collector maintained.
"Although these deaths are being branded as starvation deaths, they had occurred due to food poisoning," the collector claimed.
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