NHRC sends notices to Chief Secretary, Tamil Nadu and Chief Secretary,Himachal PradeshNew Delhi October 8, 2007The National Human Rights Commission has sent notice to the ChiefSecretary, Tamil Nadu, on a news report, which said that due to lack ofhygiene, a student of Stanley Medical College Hospital, Chennai, had died.The report, which appeared in the “Indian Express” on September 29, 2007, said that 18 students who were staying at the campusof the Hospital had fallen ill and were hospitalized with fever andheadache. Two of them tested positive for Dengue while one, a girl wasconfirmed as a case of leptospirosis. The girl was later declared braindead and rushed to a private hospital where she died on September 27,2007. The report also said that an endemic had broken out due tosuspected viral encephalitis.The news report highlighted that piling of garbage, lack of propersanitation, unhygienic conditions and dilapidated building of the hostelwere possible reasons for the endemic.Expressing serious concern for the conditions in the hospital, theCommission has given four weeks time to the Chief Secretary for a factualreport.The Commission has also sent notice to the District Collector, Hamirpurand Chief Secretary, Himachal Pradesh, on a news report, which said thatcheap ration eludes Antodaya families in the district.The report, which appeared in the “Tribune” on September 29, 2007, saidthat these families had been deprived of cheap ration, for which they wereentitled under Antodaya Scheme.The report added that this had happened as the Nagar Parishad submitted alist of BPL families instead of Antodaya families, to the District Foodand Civil Supplies Department. The Department, based on this list, issuedration cards to BPL families and deleted the names of Antodaya families. The two authorities however, blamed each other for the crisis.The Commission has directed that the press report be forwarded to theconcerned authorities for a factual report within four weeks.******Information Officer,National Human Rights Commission,New Delhi, India.