Gorakhpur, December 29: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Wednesday said most of the children who died of encephalitis in the eastern districts of the state in the past were Dalits or from the minority communities and the political parties that "used them as vote banks" did not care for their health.

He also said the fatalities caused by the deadly disease were kept in check since 2017. Also Read | Nashik: Man Dupes People On Pretext Of Providing Them jobs In Defence Services By Posing As Indian Army Major, Arrested.

"Purvanchal was hit by encephalitis since 1970 and a large number of children used to die due to it. Most of them were Dalits or from the minority communities. After independence, the parties that ruled the state used these people as vote banks but did not care for their health," the chief minister said at an event here. Also Read | Haryana CM Manohar Lal Announces Financial Bonanza for Anganwadi Workers, Helpers As New Year Gift.

Before 2017, there was only one medical college -- Baba Raghav Das (BRD) Medical College -- in the area and it was in a pathetic condition as only 40 doctors were working as against the 90 posts and there was a huge dearth of nursing and paramedical staff, he said.

But now, there are a number of medical colleges in the area and a regional virology centre and a super-specialty department in the BRD Medical College were inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who also dedicated an AIIMS and a fertiliser plant to the people of the region this month, Adityanath said.

Listing the achievements of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government such as construction of airports, educational institutes, medical colleges and expressways, he said with the One District, One Product (ODOP) scheme, Uttar Pradesh is exporting its products and the image of the state has changed from one of "mosquito and mafia" to that of a safe destination for businesses and industry.

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