From correspondents in Delhi, India, 10:04 PM IST

Japanese Encephalitis has killed 505 people in India this year, Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad told parliament Tuesday.

Azad said 23 districts in eastern Uttar Pradesh had reported 2,868 cases of the disease.

'The government has initiated vaccination programme for Japanese Encephalitis for children from 1 to 15 years. The ministry has provided Rs.5.6 million to the state for tackling the disease,' he said.

(Staff Writer, © IANS)