The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has served a notice upon the state government, asking it to submit a report on malnutrition deaths in Sheopur and Shivpuri districts within four weeks. The notice has been issued to the chief secretary of the state in view of report of the deaths in HT on September 17. Consequently, the chief secretary R Parasuram, along with senior officials of health and women and child development departments would be visiting both the districts on October 2.

A release issued by the NHRC said, "The commission has taken cognizance of a media report that 25 children died due to malnutrition in districts of Sheopur and Shivpuri in Madhya Pradesh in two weeks in the month of August, 2012."

The commission has observed that the contents of the press report, if true, raise the serious issue of violation of Right to Health of children.

"As per the media report carried on the 17th September, 2012, the issue had been brought to light by an NGO which studied the problem. Allegedly, all the children who died during this period were 'Adivasis' (tribal)," the commission press release stated.