Expressing concern over rising death toll in West Bengal due to encephalitis, several MPs including from CPI-M today demanded that the Centre should intervene as the state was not doing much to control the situation.
Raising the issue during Zero Hour in Rajya Sabha, CPI-M member Ritabrata Banerjee said the West Bengal neither has adequate medicines nor doctors and urgent medical help is needed for people suffering from the disease.
The death toll has risen to 104 so far and the unofficial figure is 131, while the Jalapiguri is worst affected, he added.
"There is scarcity of doctors. Vaccination has not yet arrived in the state. ...I urge the Centre to help the state government as there are no remedial measures put in place in the state," Banerjee said.
The issue echoed in the Lok Sabha too where BJP member from Darjeeling S S Ahluwalia said the state government was not doing anything even as many people were dying.
The Centre should set up a high-powered committee to look into the matter and also send a special medical team to the state, he said.
Congress member Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury said many people have died and many more are infected due to the disease. There is not enough medical facilities to deal with the situation, he added.
Urging the Union Health Ministry to take stock of the situation in West Bengal, he said the state government was "apathetic" on the matter.
Trinamool Congress member Sultan Ahmed said the state government has taken up the encephalitis matter seriously.
Jagdambika Pal (BJP) drew the attention of the government to the growing problem of the disease in eastern Uttar Pradesh.
