The Uttar Pradesh government led by Yogi Adityanath on Wednesday downplayed the NITI Aayog health index that put the State at the bottom of the list among large States.
Health Minister Sidharth Nath Singh said the report released on Tuesday pertained to 2017 and argued the BJP had just come to power in the State that year.
While Kerala topped the list among 21 large States with an overall score of 74.01, Uttar Pradesh was the least performing one at 28.61.
Improvements would be made, Mr. Singh told reporters. “Some things take time to improve. A mango tree gives mangoes four years after it is planted,” he said.
Mr. Singh said UP had done well on the cleanliness front and built a large number of toilets. It also recorded a drop of 67% in mortality due to the Acute Encephalitis Syndrome and the Japanese Encephalitis (in 2018), he said.
