Mumbai (PTI): More than 8.9 lakh girls in the age group of 14-15 years in Maharashtra will be administered the HPV vaccine to prevent cervical cancer, Health Minister Prakash Abitkar said in the legislative council on Wednesday.

Replying to a Calling Attention Motion, Abitkar said a three-month vaccination drive will be launched on Women's Day (March 8).

"During the drive, the HPV vaccine will be administered to 8.94 lakh females in the age group of 14-15 years," he said.

He said another group of girls in the same age bracket will be covered next year.

The minister added that the government is also planning to screen everyone above 30 years of age for oral, breast, and cervical cancer.

The nationwide Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination campaign was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday.

Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.



Mangaluru (Karnataka) (PTI): Karnataka Legislative Assembly Speaker U T Khader on Wednesday sought an inquiry after a large number of Aadhaar cards were found on the banks of the Nethravathi River here.

The cards were found at Farangipete in Pudu village of his Mangaluru Assembly constituency.

Khader, in a note to the Project Manager of the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI), Bengaluru, sought immediate intervention and necessary action against those responsible.

In the note dated March 4, he said that local residents noticed the Aadhaar cards along the riverbank on March 3.

Following information received from the public, the Pudu Gram Panchayat president and villagers collected the Aadhaar cards found scattered in the area. They subsequently brought the matter to his attention and the concerned authorities, he said.

Expressing concern over the incident, the Speaker has directed that a thorough investigation be conducted to ascertain how such a large number of Aadhaar cards ended up on the riverbank and to identify those responsible.

He instructed officials to initiate appropriate legal action through the concerned department at the earliest.