Advani being given Bharat Ratna so that BJP's votes don't get scattered: Akhilesh Yadav
Balrampur/Gonda (UP) (PTI): Hours after the Centre announced its decision to honour former prime minister L K Advani with the Bharat Ratna, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav on Saturday said it is being done to ensure that the BJP's votes do not get scattered.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that Advani would be conferred with the Bharat Ratna and praised the contribution of the BJP's longest-serving president to public life.
Yadav was in Balrampur district to attend a programme to pay tributes to senior SP leader and MLA Shiv Pratap Yadav, who died on January 26.
ALSOREAD: Former Deputy PM LK Advani to be honoured with Bharat Ratna, says PM Modi
"The BJP has given the honour before its tenure (at the Centre) comes to an end so that its votes do not get scattered," Yadav told reporters in an apparent reference to Advani being conferred with the Bharat Ratna.
"This Bharat Ratna is being given to consolidate votes, it is not being given out of respect," he said.
On seat-sharing in the opposition INDIA bloc, Yadav said there is almost a consensus on it.
"The basis for distribution of seats is 'jeet' (victory) and seat," he said, adding that he has already talked to the Congress leadership and there is no dilemma regarding the distribution of seats.
Asked if he would join Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra, the SP chief said he has not received any invitation so far.
On Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar joining the NDA, Yadav asked "which magic of the BJP" encouraged him to do so.
He said the issue of caste census will not be sidelined and the SP will take it forward.
According to a statement issued by the SP in Lucknow, Yadav participated in several programmes in Balrampur, Gonda and Barabanki on Saturday.
Speaking to reporters in Gonda, Yadav said, "The BJP has become the biggest land mafia party. There is no district left where land mafias are not operating."
The chief minister himself has admitted that many land mafias have come to Gorakhpur, the SP leader said.
"It seems that law and order has become zero under the BJP government," he said.
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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.
