The Maharashtra government plans to introduce a legislation to tackle the growing number of bogus doctors operating particularly in villages.

The state government has already taken action against 1,520 quacks.

The Mumbai branch of the Indian Medical Association claims the real figure is increasing everyday.

State Medical Education Minister Dilip Walse-Patil said the state government has decided to bring in a new legislation, which is being prepared in consultation with the public health, medical education and home departments.

He admitted that earlier efforts to tackle the situation have been ineffective.

The minister said the new legislation would try to plug in the lacunae that existed in the earlier laws.

The population in the state has been increasing rapidly while there have not been enough qualified doctors to address the demand of the public, he said.

The minister suggested that the state increase the number of medical colleges to solve the problem.