MillenniumPost
Bengal

As if we produce mosquito larvae: Mamata slams Oppn

Kolkata: Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said on Tuesday that 27 people have died of dengue this year in Bengal, as she hit out at the opposition "for politicising" the issue.

Banerjee, while speaking during a discussion on the matter in the Assembly, said around 44,000 people are affected by the vector-borne disease in the state.

However, the Chief Minister added that various opposition parties are trying to defame the state government on the issue by propagating false information. She also took on a section of the media for their attempts to present the government in bad light.

"We don't want any deaths. We have been able to save thousands of people who were affected by the vector-borne disease. But the opposition parties of the state instead of raising awareness are only interested in politicising the matter," she said.

"Unless and until we ourselves are aware, the problem can't be solved. The opposition is behaving in such a way that as if we produce these dengue larvae," she said.

"Some private agencies and hospitals are not presenting the correct figures of dengue cases. The state government is committed to check dengue in the state. It is painful if a patient dies of any disease. In today's cosmopolitan culture where people migrate from one country to the other, people often bring diseases also from outside," Banerjee said.

She also took a jibe at the opposition leaders for boycotting the House when the discussions on dengue were underway.

Incidentally, it was the opposition party MLAs who had sought a special discussion on dengue in the Assembly.

"I don't understand why the opposition MLAs seek a special discussion when they have no patience to hear the state government's version on the issue. They should have participated in the discussion and heard what the government had to say in this regard," Banerjee added. She also said following the relentless campaigns carried out by various government agencies, the situation is much better from what it was last year.

The Chief Minister also pointed out that natural phenomenon cannot be controlled despite the best efforts put in by the government. Stressing on the fluctuating weather, she said it has also contributed towards spreading of the disease. Around 51,000 people have been deployed to visit every household to spread awareness about the precautions that need to be taken to prevent the spread of dengue.

As many as 3,000 doctors and 4,000 nursing staff have been working round-the-clock taking care of the patients. Unless the people become more aware and play their respective roles, the anti-dengue campaign run by the government, alone cannot eradicate the disease.

Following the Chief Minister's instructions, the state Chief Secretary has been keeping a tab on the issue and meetings have been conducted from time to time.

She further added that during the Left Front rule, around 87 people died of malaria in 1995 and as many as 91, 014 people were affected. In 1997, around 74 patients died of malaria and 1,55,209 had been affected. The number of deaths during the Left Front rule outweighed the number of present tolls, Banerjee told the House.

Minister of State for Health Chandrima Bhattacharya, while addressing the House, said Rs 20 crore has been allotted for procuring bio larvicide. She added that the entire budget allotment to combat dengue has increased manifold.

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