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Chief Minister calls it `surprising'

Special Correspondent

Refutes Anbumani's statement that no chikungunya death has occurred

V.S. Achuthanandan

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan has termed surprising a statement by Union Minister of Health Anbumani Ramadoss that no chikungunya death had occurred in the State.

Responding to a point of order made by K.M. Mani (Kerala Congress-M) in the Assembly on Thursday, Mr. Achuthanandan said the people of Kerala would reject the Minister's statement with the contempt it deserved.

He wondered where the Minister had got the information when a Central team of experts had only started touring the State and there was no communication between the Centre and the State that could lead to such a conclusion. He assured the House that the Government would urge the Prime Minister to dissuade Union Ministers from coming up with such statements.

Earlier, making a special statement on the decisions taken by the all-party meeting here on Wednesday evening, the Chief Minister said the Government would take urgent steps to fill the 4,000-odd vacancies in the Health Department, including nearly 400 of doctors. Steps would also be taken to strengthen the virology institute in Alappuzha.

Mr. Achuthanandan said it had been decided to launch a massive sanitation campaign to rid the State of mosquitoes, which spread chikungunya, and clear garbage. He called upon all sections of people to cooperate in the sanitation drive.

The Chief Minister said the Government would also take steps to strictly enforce the ban on plastic bags with thickness of less than 30 microns.

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