Arrogant govt: Rahul slams govt over video of restaurant chain owner 'apologising' to FM
New Delhi (PTI): Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Friday slammed the government over a video in which a restaurant chain owner is purportedly "apologising" to Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman for voicing concerns about GST, and said that when "fragile egos" of those in power are hurt, it seems humiliation is what they will deliver.
Two videos were being shared by several Congress leaders and in one of them at an event on September 11, Annapoorna chain of restaurants owner Srinivasan is seen purportedly highlighting concerns over varying GST rates. In the second video, Srinivasan was seen purportedly apologising in person to the Finance Minister.
Gandhi said if this "arrogant government" would listen to the people they would understand that a simplified GST would solve the problems of lakhs of businesses.
In a post on X, Gandhi said when the owner of a small business, like Annapoorna restaurant in Coimbatore, asks public servants for a simplified GST regime, his request is met with "arrogance and outright disrespect".
"Yet, when a billionaire friend seeks to bend the rules, change the laws, or acquire national assets, Modi Ji rolls out the red carpet," he alleged.
"Our small business owners have already endured the blows of demonetisation, an inaccessible banking system, tax extortion and a disastrous GST. The last thing they deserve is further humiliation," Gandhi said.
But when the fragile egos of those in power are hurt, it seems humiliation is exactly what they will deliver, the former Congress chief said.
He said MSMEs have been asking for relief for years.
"If this arrogant government would listen to the people they would understand that a simplified GST with a single tax rate would solve the problems of lakhs of businesses," Gandhi said.
There was a meeting organised in Coimbatore with businesses and Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman
— Supriya Shrinate (@SupriyaShrinate) September 13, 2024
▪️The owner of Sree Annapoorna, a famous vegetarian restaurant chain in Coimbatore, Mr. Srinivasan explained the problems of different GST rates for different items to FM
▪️He… pic.twitter.com/FXCZTWUjcU
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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.
