Mamata Banerjee attributes Dengue outbreak on weather, corrupt business practices

As deaths were reported from all over the State, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday attributed the Dengue outbreak on the weather and conspiracy by some private nursing homes and business houses.

"Owing the untimely rains, mosquitoes are breeding in the stagnant water" stated the Chief Minister adding that there is no need to panic.

"People with vested business interests (some private nursing homes and business houses) are trying to create panic. Some business ventures had also opposed the State Health Commission and are now spreading wrong information. We are keeping a strict tab on the situation" stated Banerjee, who is also the Minister in charge of the health department.

Banerjee stated that there are certain pockets in a few districts where there has been a recent surge in the disease. "We have alerted the Municipalities of these areas to take all necessary steps to eradicate the mosquitoes. We will dissolve the Municipalities that do not adopt necessary measures to combat dengue despite receiving funds from the Health department" warned Banerjee.

The CM held a meeting with the health department officials on Monday in the State Secretariat.

The CM stated that there have been 13 dengue deaths reported from Government hospitals. "We have also received reports of 27 deaths from private nursing homes. However these deaths have been attributed to malaria, dengue, swine flu. We are verifying these reports. All these deaths cannot be attributed to Dengue" stated the CM.

The West Bengal CM further claimed that number of deaths owing to vector-borne diseases is much less than the numbers in other states.

"A report uploaded 15 days ago states that in Gujarat 435 people have died owing to vector borne diseases; Maharashtra 695; Rajasthan 230; UP 165; MP 141; Kerala 111; Assam 87 and Orissa 83" stated Banerjee.

The opposition parties in Bengal however have blamed the State Government's apathy for the outbreak. The Congress and the BJP launched separate demonstrations against the State Government in Kolkata on Monday.

The Congress party will be submitting memorandum to the West Bengal Governor on November 2. "The State Government has issued strictures warning medical practitioners not to write Dengue as the cause of deaths. The Doctors are now writing "unknown fever." We will file a PIL. Let the State then file affidavit in court attributing deaths to "Unknown fever"" alleged Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, President, West Bengal Pradesh Congress Committee.

OneIndia News