Centre orders probe into Delhi starvation deaths

Press Trust of India  |  New Delhi 

The Centre has ordered an inquiry into the deaths of three children in the national capital reportedly due to starvation, said today.

Three sisters, aged two, four and eight, were found dead in east Delhi's Mandawali area. The initial postmortem report attributed it to "and its complications", prompting the city government to order a magisterial probe into the matter.

"We have ordered an enquiry into the matter," the consumer affairs, and public distribution minister said today.

Meanwhile, official sources refuted claims by some leaders that the state government's proposed doorstep delivery of ration scheme would have averted such a tragedy, saying the family was not eligible for subsidised ration as it did not have a ration card.

The government has been alleging that the Lieutenant Governor, a Centre's appointee, is not allowing it to implement the scheme.

The sources said it is up to the to fix eligibility criteria for ration card beneficiaries. The responsibility of distribution also lies with the state government, they added.

The central government's job is to deliver subsidised good to the state's godowns, they said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

First Published: Thu, July 26 2018. 17:20 IST