Chennai, Aug 7 - The Tamil Nadu government has clarified that it had given a general alert Thursday to the public to travel to Maharashtra only on exigency and avoid any leisure travel for the time being.

'There is no ban on travel to Maharashtra. We got reports that the situation in districts like Pune and Satara is a bit acute and hence suggested that people restrict travel till normalcy returns there,' Health Secretary V.K. Subburaj told IANS.

Disapproving of Tamil Nadu's issuing an alert, Maharashtra's Health Minister Rajendra Shinge told the media Friday that there is no need for panic and issuance of such an alert.

On Monday, a 14-year-old girl died of swine flu in Pune.

According to Subburaj, screening for passengers with swine flu symptoms - cough, cold, fever and others - has been started in major rail and bus stations in the state.

While the government has designated the Kings Research Institute here and Christian Medical College, Vellore, around 120 km from here, for conducting swine flu diagnostic tests, Subburaj said if the situation demands the government may also specify other labs that would satisfy the required norms.