The Uttar Pradesh Government has not yet responded to Union Home Ministry’s enquiries regarding the deaths of children at relief camps housing the victims of the Muzaffarnagar riots.
According to MHA officials, the Centre has already sent four requests to the UP Government about the details of child deaths in the relief shelters.
“We have sent four letters, beginning December 8. The latest one was sent today (Monday). However, UP Government has ignored all our queries,” a senior Government official said.
The Union Home Ministry has asked the State Government about the number of children who have died so far at the relief camps in western Uttar Pradesh, the reasons for the deaths and the steps taken to prevent further casualties.
Reports in the media said that 40 children have so far died in these camps.
According to a high-level committee constituted by UP Government to look into the matter, at least 34 children below the age of 12 years have perished in the relief camps in the Muzaffarnagar and Shamli districts.
The deaths occurred between September 7 and December 20. According to the report, 4,783 people are still living in five relief camps in the area — at loi in Muzaffarnagar district and at Madarsa Taimul Shah, Malakpur, Barnavi and Edgah in Shamli district.