POLITICS-Moved by brain fever outbreak, Paswan to not celebrate birthday

Union minister Ram Vilas Paswan, who turns 72 on Friday, has decided to not celebrate his birthday as he is deeply moved by the death of more than 150 children due to AES outbreak in Bihar, his Lok Janshakti Party said Thursday. Paswan, the Union minister for consumer affairs and public distribution system, has instructed party leaders and workers to spend the day with bereaved family members, LJP said in a statement here.

"He has called upon party workers to make special efforts in districts which have been worst affected by the outbreak. He has also directed that LJP cadres engage in blood donation and free distribution of textbooks among poor families," the party said. Bihar has been struggling with an Acute Encephalitis Syndrome (AES) outbreak, also called brain fever, since the beginning of June.

More than 150 children have died of the disease so far.