Congress blames BJP for political chaos in Goa
Panaji, Sep 15 : The Goa Congress on Saturday squarely blamed the ruling BJP for the political and administrative chaos in the state, after Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar was airlifted for treatment to New Delhi, even as the party is in the process of scouting for a replacement.
"We would also like to remind the people of Goa that their well-being is the last thing on the mind of the ruling political parties who are unleashing the ugly game of power and clamouring for their benefit.
"The greed for power of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its allies has exposed the fact that they can't give charge even to a trusted lieutenant in the absence of CM," state Congress president Girish Chodankar said in a statement issued here on Saturday.
"The current confusion of epic proportions is only going to hurt the prospects of the state further, especially when the BJP does not even have a second-in-command to succeed Parrikar in his absence.
"The very fact that a second-in-command was never allowed to be groomed by the BJP, shows how selfish interests have sacrificed the interests of the party and the state of Goa," Chodankar said, adding that the Congress sympathises with the health-related issues which confront Parrikar.
BJP's central overseers are expected to visit the state soon to monitor the ongoing developments and decide a political course for the party in view of Parrikar's ailing condition, even as coalition partners have been demanding a bigger role in a dispensation without Parrikar at the helm.
The alliance partners, the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party and the Goa Forward, with three MLAs each, have demanded chief ministership for their senior leaders Sudin Dhavalikar and Vijai Sardesai, respectively.
Parrikar, who is suffering from advanced pancreatic cancer, was airlifted to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in the national capital for treatment.
Since February this year, Parrikar has been in and out of hospitals in Mumbai, the US, Goa and now in Delhi owing to his ailment. His absence and his inability to officiate hands-on has been criticised by the opposition, civil society and also by the ruling alliance partners.
Chodankar in his statement said that nobody is happy with the piquant political situation Goa is in at the moment.
"No one in Goa is happy, BJP is not happy, allies are not happy, people of Goa are unhappy, bureaucrats and government officers are unhappy, even CM and ministers are unhappy. This happens when you don't respect people's mandate. BJP and its allies should take up responsibility of this mess created in Goa over the last 16 months," Chodankar said.
The Congress had won more seats than the BJP in the 2017 state Assembly polls, but sluggish leadership and decision-making by the party's leaders and quick thinking by the BJP helped the latter cobble up a coalition with regional parties and Independent legislators to form the government.
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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.
