Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav has announced an aid of Rs 50,000 to the kin of those who died of Japanese Encephalitis (JE) and Rs 1 lakh each to people incapacitated by the viral disease, at a function here on Wednesday.
The disease is prevalent in eastern Uttar Pradesh, claiming close to 500 lives, mostly children, and disabling several others annually. He also announced the setting up of a a special child care hospital in Gorakhpur.
Earlier, a small amount was being given to JE victims till the previous BSP Government took over.
According to BJP MLA from Gorakhpur City Radha Mohan Agarwal, it was the continuous demands from the MLAs that prompted the Chief Minister to act in favour of JE victims.
“We told him that Mulayam Singh Yadav had started a financial assistance scheme, which was stopped by the BSP,” he said.