In a "pragmatic shift", the Centre is planning to involve elected leaders in policy making and implementation to make them more "meaningful and effective".
Union Health Minister J P Nadda today told Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav that he is working to involve MPs, MLAs and local representatives in policy making as these are presently seen as "bureaucratic", official sources said.
In his first visit as a Union Minister to the state, he is there to oversee measures put in place to fight encephalitis, a disease which claims hundreds of lives, mostly children, every year in parts of the state.
Nadda visited Gorakhpur and Lukcnow today and will visit Siddarthnagar tomorrow.
"The Union government is implementing a national programme for prevention and control of AES and JE (two forms of encephalitis) in five states in 60 highly endemic districts of which 20 districts are in UP," the Ministry said.
Nadda had earlier reviewed the situation in Tamil Nadu.
He also informed Akhilesh about 'Mission Indradhanush', which aims to cover all those children who are either unvaccinated or partially vaccinated against seven diseases, including diphtheria, whooping cough, tetanus, polio, tuberculosis, measles and hepatitis B, by 2019, it said.
Both leaders also reviewed the swine flu situation in the state.
