NHRC issues notice to UP govt over a 5 yr old girl's death due to starvation

Lucknow, Aug 24: The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) on Sunday issued a notice to UP government over the death of a five-year-old girl reportedly due to starvation and illness in Agra.

The NHRC in its notice asked for a detailed report of the incident within four weeks. The local authorities reportedly did nothing to help the family in lockdown-induced crisis, it said.

NHRC also sought what relief and rehabilitation provided to the family by the administration and the action taken against the concerned officials.

The NHRC said that the chief secretary is expected to issue instructions to all the district authorities to ensure that such incidents of cruelty and negligence do not recur in future.

The commission said it has taken suo motu cognizance of a media report that the girl allegedly died due to starvation and ill health as the family was not able to get food and medical care for her.

Notably, during the period of lockdown, the government agencies have specifically introduced a number of schemes for the poor, migrant labourers and other vulnerable sections of the society.

The NHRC said that "a five-year-old innocent girl has apparently died due to starvation and illness while a number of social welfare schemes run by the central and the state government do exist."

"The state government has made several statements that they are committed to ensure Right to Food, Shelter and Livelihood for the poor people and have been working on issues relating to labourers and labour laws but this heart-wrenching incident shows a different picture," the NHRC also said.

A poor girl has lost her life, as the breadwinner of the family is suffering from tuberculosis and is bedridden.

Calling it "a serious issue of violation of human rights due to gross negligence by the local administration", the NHRC said it is for the local public servants to honestly implement the schemes, "so that the poor and needy can avail the benefits which, apparently was not done in this case".