12 more arrested in violence over Waqf Act in West Bengal's Murshidabad: Police
Kolkata, Apr 13 (PTI): Twelve more people were arrested in connection with the violent protests over the Waqf (Amendment) Act in West Bengal's Murshidabad district, where three people have died, police said on Sunday.
No new incident of violence was reported from anywhere in the Muslim-majority district, with security forces keeping a close vigil, they said.
"The situation in Suti, Dhulian, Samserganj and Jangipur areas of the district is peaceful. Raids continued overnight, and 12 more people were arrested. With this, 150 people have been arrested so far," a senior police officer said.
Prohibitory orders under section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) have been imposed in the violence-hit areas, and the internet has been suspended, he said.
The security forces are checking vehicles on the main roads, and patrolling the sensitive pockets, he added.
"An investigation is underway into the incidents of violence. More arrests are likely," the officer said.
Several vehicles, including police vans, were set on fire, stones were hurled at security forces, and roads were blocked as violence rocked various parts of the state, particularly Murshidabad, during protests over the new legislation on Friday. Some flare-ups were also reported on Saturday.
Amid the violence, the bodies of a man and his son were found with multiple stab wounds at their home in Jafrabad in Samserganj on Saturday. They were identified as Harogobindo Das and Chandan Das, according to the police.
A 21-year-old man, identified as Ijaz Momin, died on Saturday after receiving bullet wounds during clashes at Sajur More in Suti on Friday, they said.
At least 18 policemen were injured in the violence on Friday.
DGP Rajeev Kumar, who reached Samserganj on Saturday night, held a meeting with senior officers and took stock of the situation.
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Maharashtra sets up state vaccination task force to strengthen immunisation programme
Mumbai (PTI): The Maharashtra government has set up a State Vaccination Task Force to strengthen the regular immunisation programme and review the progress of related campaigns, a health department official said on Monday.
The State Vaccination Task Force will comprise at least 29 members and will be headed by the administrative head of the health department, he informed.
The government has also constituted separate district-level and municipal vaccination task forces to improve implementation and address challenges at the grassroots level, he said.
Municipal task forces, chaired by respective civic commissioners, have been constituted in view of the vast urban population in Maharashtra and the role of civic bodies in implementing different health programmes.
The district-level task forces will function under the chairmanship of collectors.
"Complete immunisation of children at the appropriate age is an extremely simple, cost-effective and highly effective measure to reduce child mortality and the prevalence of diseases among kids. Immunisation is a powerful tool for reducing illness in children," maintained the official.
To ensure full vaccination of all children, the state government implements various campaigns from time to time as per the central government guidelines, he pointed out.
"Active participation and cooperation of other relevant government departments are essential (in making these campaigns successful)," according to the official.
The state-level body will review the regular immunisation programme, associated campaigns and vaccine-preventable diseases in detail. It will also conduct focused assessments of high-risk districts and municipal corporations, including vacancies at district, municipal and sub-district levels, availability of cold chain equipment, resource gaps and training requirements, he noted.
The state task force will review allocation and utilisation of funds for immunisation and ensure timely action by officers concerned based on reports from district and municipal task forces and state-level monitoring mechanisms, the official said.
It will also ensure active coordination and participation of other government departments in immunisation drives, while district and municipal task forces will carry out similar functions at their respective levels, the official added.
