With Mumbai recording several measles cases, Shiv Sena MP Rahul Shewale appealed to the Centre on Tuesday to provide sufficient doses of measles vaccine and medical support to hospitals to put a check on the spread of the viral disease in Maharashtra.
Raising the matter during the Zero Hour in Lok Sabha, Shewale said the disease continues to affect children in Mumbai and neighbouring districts.
It is a highly communicable disease and is responsible for several deaths in Mumbai. However, it is preventable with vaccines and timely vaccination can help control the spread of measles.
According to the World Health Organization, measles vaccination has reduced death rates by 73 per cent between 2000 and 2018 worldwide.
"Team has been appointed by the Union Health Minister to assist and manage the situation in Mumbai where several slum areas have seen an outbreak of measles," the Mumbai South Central MP said, adding the team visited slums recently.
BJP MP Tejasvi Surya sought that income tax rules be revised to include Bengaluru and Hyderabad in the list of Metro cities so that salaried people can claim tax benefits of 50 per cent of house rent allowance.
"Bengaluru has one of the highest salaried populations in a city in the country... A large number of salaried taxpayers stay in Bengaluru, Hyderabad, and many places like these but they can claim only up to 40 per cent of house rent allowance," the Bengaluru South MP said.
