The Chhattisgarh High Court, taking suo motu cognizance of a news article highlighting the plight of flood-affected villages in the Bijapur region (Bastar division), has requested an immediate response from the District Collector regarding the Public Interest Litigation (PIL).
A bench comprising Chief Justice Ramesh Sinha and Justice Ravindra Kumar Agrawal authorized the registration of a suo motu case based on an office reference, following a news item published on August 3 (Saturday).
The report indicated that heavy rains and the lack of a bridge on the Chintavagu River in the Bhopalpattanam block have isolated over three villages from the rest of Bijapur, transforming them into islands. It also detailed the villagers’ perilous journeys, often covering many kilometers on foot to access free rations. According to the article, the villagers have been enduring such challenges for the last 77 years.
The report also mentioned that requests from some villagers to establish a PDS shop within their localities have been unsuccessful. Additionally, the construction of a bridge has been a long-standing demand for the past 15 years. The villagers have even sought a motorboat as an alternative to collect free rations from distant PDS shops.
Advocate General Prafull N. Bharath argued that the news item exaggerated the situation but acknowledged that certain parts of the Bastar region are severely impacted by floods during the rainy season. He stated that as a precaution, the government usually supplies four months’ worth of rations at once to mitigate the effects of flooding. The Advocate General further justified the absence of PDS shops in some affected villages by explaining the state policy of not opening shops where the number of beneficiaries is fewer than 500. He added that water levels have significantly decreased and that villagers should now face less difficulty in obtaining food items from PDS shops. The AG also informed the court that the District Administration is taking necessary steps to ensure the distribution of food grains to beneficiaries.
Following the state’s initial submissions, the High Court has directed the Bijapur District Collector to file a personal affidavit on the matter by 14th August.
