New Delhi, October 16: An 11-year-girl Santoshi Kumari died of starvation last fortnight in Jharkhand’s Simdega district. She reportedly did not eat for eight days in a row. Many Right to Food activists alleged the victim’s family was denied food under public distribution system after the family failed to link their ration card with Aadhar number. The plight of the family could be gauged from the fact the girl was dependent on the food in mid-day meals of her school. Also Read - Sudarshan TV Row: 'Free Speech, Not Hatred,' Supreme Court Says Media Self-regulation System Toothless

A report by the news portal Scroll noted the ration shop dealer selling subsidised food grains to Santoshi Kumari’s family also dealt with at least 700 households in and around Karimati village. However, he deleted the details of 10 families from Public Distribution System list after the families failed to link their Aadhar cards. Also Read - 2021 Haridwar Kumbh: In a First, Number of Pilgrims to Be Restricted; Entry Passes to Be Issued

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Right to Food activist Dheeraj Kumar said, “This is a common problem we are seeing in Jharkhand – even when people have an Aadhaar card, the authorities are not able to link it with their ration cards because internet networks are often absent, their servers are down, the technical operator is absent or the portal just doesn’t work on some days of the month.”

Supreme Court’s ruling

The Supreme Court had ruled the Aadhar cards cannot be made mandatory for accessing the welfare schemes of the government. The bench headed by former chief justice had said, “We also make it clear that Aadhaar card scheme is purely voluntary and not mandatory till the matter is finally decided by this court, this way or the other way.” Senior advocate Shyam Sharan had argued Central government was not following the various orders passed by the apex court.