Encephalitis: UP grounds Cong chopper

To prevent the UPA from taking political mileage from the 800 Japanese Encephalitis deaths in Uttar Pradesh, the Mulayam Singh Yadav governm...

To prevent the UPA from taking political mileage from the 800 Japanese Encephalitis deaths in Uttar Pradesh, the Mulayam Singh Yadav government has, for the last two weeks, grounded the helicopter sent by Amethi MP Rahul Gandhi to carry out aerial fogging of the affected areas.

The helicopter, costing Rs 50,000 per day, is parked at Fursatganj airstrip in Rae Bareilly since September 10.

An approval from the Health Ministry 8212; which has forwarded to the UP government a WHO recommendation that the fogging would be effective and won8217;t take more than a day 8212; has not been able to change its mind either.

The September 20 letter by Union Health Secretary P Hota to UP Chief Secretary Neera Yadav also gives an assurance that the Centre would provide the spray material.

The Centre8217;s letter said, 8220;As per the WHO8217;s advice, aerial fogging is recommended for gaining access to otherwise difficult areas/terrains. We will be providing the necessary spraying material to Salman Khursheed, president UPCC, so that the correct material is sprayed. Please ask the respective district magistrates to permit this aerial spraying. It will take place in early morning and evening hours and would last for a day or two at most.8217;8217;

8220;Also, this spraying material that is being provided is over and above the material requested by UP government, so there would be no shortage of spraying material because of this for UP government8217;s own public health measures,8217;8217; the letter added.

But the Mulayam Singh government is not convinced. 8220;Rahul Gandhi and UPA only want to score political points. Aerial fogging is an absurd idea8230;I thought Rahul Gandhi was an educated person. Why is he showing his ignorance by sending a helicopter? We don8217;t need his help to fight encephalitis,8217;8217; UP Parliamentary Affairs Minister Mohammad Azam Khan said.

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As for taking its own steps to tackle the disease, the state government is helpless. 8220;We have no plans for aerial fogging as we don8217;t have the equipment or the expertise,8217;8217; says UP Principal Secretary Health Siddharth Behura.

For Rahul Gandhi, the helicopter was follow-up of a promise he had made in Gorakhpur, on September 7.

Three days later, the helicopter arrived in Rae Bareilly, and carried out fogging. But the government denied permission for the worst-hit districts of Gorakhpur and Basti, with UP Principal Secretary Home Alok Sinha saying that 8220;The chemical can play havoc with paddy and animals. Even the central health authorities have not given clearance8217;8217;. This made the Centre approach the WHO.

8220;The Centre8217;s letter is of not much consequence8230;we need the Congress to come forward with a detailed proposal of how they will conduct such fogging. They have not approached my office officially till now,8217;8217; UP Principal Secretary Health Siddharth Behura said today.

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UPCC chief Salman Khursheed, says, 8220;Children continue to die due to encephalitis but the state government is sleeping on our request for aerial fogging. I am taking up the issue with Health Minister Anbumani Ramadoss and Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh8217;s Office PMO.8221;