I&B Ministry asks Prasar Bharati to ensure level-playing field for all parties after EC directive
New Delhi: The Information and Broadcasting Ministry has instructed public broadcaster Prasar Bharati to ensure that the Election Commission's directive to "desist" from extending any preferential or disproportionate airtime coverage in favour of any party is adhered to in letter and spirit.
I&B Secretary Amit Khare, in a letter to Prasar Bharati CEO Shashi Shekhar Vempati, instructed that the coverage by Doordarshan and All India Radio abides by the EC directive and asked him put in place a mechanism for adherence to the Model Code of Conduct, sources said.
In a strongly-worded letter to the secretary of the Information and Broadcasting Ministry, the EC said, "Would like you (secretary) to direct the DD News channel to desist from extending any preferential or disproportionate airtime coverage in favour of any party and extend commensurate and balanced coverage of the activities of all recognised political parties..."
The commission had recently issued a show-cause notice to DD News for showing Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 'Main Bhi Chowkidar' programme for nearly one hour after opposition parties complained that the national broadcaster was being biased.
In its reply, DD News had reportedly said the BJP has got maximum time on its news slot, followed by the Congress, since the Lok Sabha polls were announced.
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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.
