NEW DELHI: The NHRC has issued a notice to the Uttar Pradesh government over a report that a family residing in a village in Basti district has lost four of its members during the last six years allegedly due to malnutrition, officials said on Wednesday.
The National Human Rights Commission has observed that the contents of the news report, if true, raise a "serious issue of human rights violation" due to the lack of nutritional diet, adequate medical care and proper means of livelihood.
"Such reported tragic deaths, due to malnutrition and lack of other basic facilities are a matter of concern for it," the rights panel said in a statement.
"The NHRC has taken suo motu cognisance of a media report that a family residing at Ojhaganj village of Basti district in Uttar Pradesh has lost four of its members during the last six years due to malnutrition," it said.
Accordingly, the commission issued a notice to the UP government, through its chief secretary, seeking a detailed report, including the data pertaining to effective implementation of social welfare schemes in the district, it added.
"Reportedly, not being able to bear the extreme physical and mental suffering, the head of the family, has requested the authorities to allow him to end his life as he is not being given work by anyone for the last three months and has no source of income to procure bread and butter for him and lone daughter, who is also struggling to survive," the statement said.
The Commission said it would also like to know the present health status of the only child of Harishchandra and steps taken to ensure some source of income for him by the state.
"Details of the relief provided to the family by the district administration be also informed. The response is expected within four weeks," the statement said.
Issuing the notice, the Commission has further observed that the media report indicates that there could be "more such hapless families, shattered due to the lack of infrastructure and negligence by the authorities concerned".
"Such incidents are happening in spite of a large number of the flagship programmes having been announced and their implementation being monitored by the Union and the state governments to ensure socio-economic protection to the citizens, including their right to food, health, education, housing and an adequate standard of living."
"These schemes have been designed and developed to protect the vulnerable sections of the society focusing upon women, pregnant ladies, lactating mothers, newly born and young children," the statement said.