Bhubaneswar, Oct. 8: The state government finds itself in a quandary after the Union health ministry asked it not to go ahead with the immunisation drive to contain the outbreak of Japanese encephalitis in the tribal dominated Malkanagiri district.

With the reported death of another child at Kalimela in this tribal district, the number of deaths reached 42 in the past month.

Given the gravity of the situation, despite today being a holiday on account of it being a second Saturday, the state health and family welfare minister Atanu Sabyasachi Nayak today held a review meeting at the state secretariat and took stock of the situation.

Health secretary Arti Ahuja and others officials attended the meeting.

After the review meeting, health minister Nayak said: "We have asked for the vaccinations from the government of India to contain the disease. But the government of India is of the view that undertaking vaccination in the affected areas during the infection period will not serve the purpose."

According to the Union ministry, undertaking the immunisation programme would backfire and the state government should wait till the disease is under control.

Official sources said that though it was decided that the immunisation programme would start in November, it will be delayed by another one or two months.

Nayak said: "Our prime concern is to create awareness among people. This has started showing positive results. People immediately rush to the hospital after their children get fever." More than 60 children are being treated at the hospital, of which the condition of four is stated to be critical.

Managing director, National Health Mission, Shalini Pandit said: "We have opened a central control cell at the state headquarters to monitor the situation round the clock. A control cell has also been set up in Malkangiri and senior officials have been deployed there to keep a watch on the state's exercise to contain the disease."

She said the state has allocated Rs 50 lakh and also increased the number of beds in the Malkanagiri district hospital so that there would be no shortage of beds to treat the incoming patients

In a related development, the animal and husbandry department has undertaken a drive to shift all pigs from nearby localities of the tribal habitations to at least three km away. It has also allocated Rs 1.4 crore to kill the pigs.

The tribal people will be given compensation for handing over their pigs.

The issue has also taken a political turn with the Congress today burning the effigies of health minister and chief minister Naveen Patnaik. The BJP has sent a delegation to Malkangiri.