Did Congress-Mulayam spat stall encephalitis relief

Even as Japanese encephalitis, which has claimed close to 1000 lives in parts of the eastern region of Uttar Pradesh, shows no signs of abating, equipment to combat the disease in Congress president Sonia Gandhi's Lok Sabha constituency Amethi lies unused, thanks to politics over the issue between the state and the Centre.

While the helicopter provided by the Congress MP from neighbouring Amethi Lok Sabha constituency for undertaking aerial fogging of disease affected areas in the district has been stranded at Fursatganj airport since September nine awaiting permission to fly, the Compojia fishes, which eat the larva of the mosquito spreading encephalitis and prevent their breeding, lay unused with the district administration.

The life cycle of the larva of the mosquito spreading encephalitis is of only one week, the sources said.

• 'Somebody save my son'

The Compojia fishes had arrived here on September 10 last and were supposed to be released into the ponds and other places in the disease hit areas in the district.

Besides 25,000 medicated mosquito nets were provided by the Centre for distribution in the areas but they also lie unused, according to highly placed sources.

The mosquito nets had also arrived here on September 11 last but so far not a single one had been distributed, sources alleged.

The Congress has charged the Mulayam Singh Yadav government with playing politics over granting permission for aerial spraying of the affected areas in the district.

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"The state government has been making lame excuses on the matter with the sole objective of stalling aerial fogging even after the WHO gave a green signal," UPCC president Salman Khurshid alleged.

The Centre has also written to the state chief secretary saying aerial fogging could be undertaken without any hazard.