In an interview with the BBC, the state minister for relief, Parsadi Lal Meena, said that they had made sure that every village had an adequate store of wheat.

But one opposition leader who has visited the district said that several houses did not have enough grain.

Rajasthan has been badly hit by drought for the third year running.

Members of the opposition Janata Dal party had recently said that the deaths of five people in Banswara were triggered by hunger rather than illness.

Starvation ruled out

But Mr Meena says senior district officials clearly ruled out death by starvation in their initial reports.

Mr Meena also said that his government had made adequate provisions some time ago to store wheat at the headquarters of every village cluster for distribution.

The issue disrupted proceedings in the state assembly on Thursday with protests by three members of the opposition Janata Dal party, who represent the predominantly tribe-dominated Banswara district.

The state leader of the Janata Dal party, Fateh Singh, said that at least seven people had died in the district due to hunger in the last few days.