Modi, Shah to address BJP leaders on May 17
New Delhi, May 4: Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP President Amit Shah will meet the leaders of the party's various cells like Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, OBCs and minorities on May 17 to give a pep talk to them asking them to convey to different sections the various schemes that the NDA government is bringing for their benefit.
The day-long meeting of the national executive members of all seven morchas (cells) will be held at Kedar Nath Sahani auditorium of the Shyama Prasad Mukerjee Civic Centre in Central Delhi.
The meeting will be attended by national executive members of the party's Mahila Morcha, Minority Morcha, S.C Morcha, S.T. Morcha, Yuva Morcha, Kisan Morcha and OBC Morcha.
"Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Amit Shah will address the meeting," an invitation sent to the heads of all the seven cells by party General Secretary Arun Singh read.
The meeting, which will be held two days after the declaration of the results of the Karnataka Assembly polls, will focus mainly on the pro-poor initiatives of the government and the role of the cells in their publicity.
A BJP leader, on the condition of anonymity, told IANS that each wing of the party organisation would be given responsibility of their concerned sections so that the government schemes could be popularised among that section of the voters before the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.
"The women wing will be asked to counter the opposition's onslaught over women's issues with full facts and figures and make them aware about the programmes being run by the central government for their welfare," he said.
The meeting comes at a time when the government is facing charges of being anti-Dalit, anti-Tribes, anti-women, anti-minority, anti-farmer and anti-youth in the wake of recent incidents related to different sections of the society.
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Haryana govt doctors go on indefinite strike
Ambala/Kurukshetra (PTI): Government doctors in Haryana intensified their protest on Wednesday, extending their strike for an indefinite period in protest against the non-fulfilment of their demands, including the implementation of the modified assured career progression scheme.
The doctors had earlier launched a two-day strike, from December 8 to 9, which they have now extended for an indefinite period.
Amid the standoff with protesting doctors, the Haryana government, on Tuesday evening, invoked the Essential Services Maintenance Act (ESMA), prohibiting any strike by government doctors. The state health department ordered the deduction of salaries of the doctors for the days they remained off duty due to the protest.
The strike was initiated following a call from the Haryana Civil Medical Services Association, which represents government doctors in the state.
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As a result, healthcare services, including essential diagnostic services, ultrasound, and CT scan at many hospitals, were affected.
Dr Rajesh Khyalia, president of the Haryana Civil Medical Services Association, said the government had promised a year ago to fulfil their demands, which included a halt to direct recruitment of senior medical officers and implementation of a modified assured career progression scheme.
"We request the government to fulfil its promise. But rather than fulfilling its promise, it is trying to suppress our voice through ESMA or issuing letters," he said.
"Our doctors are not getting promotions. "We do not understand why the government is pressuring us. Why is it not implementing its promise?" he questioned.
He further said that three doctors in Panchkula are observing a fast unto death until the demands are met.
Noting that they are ready for a dialogue, Khyalia said they have not yet received any invitation from the government for talks.
The HCMSA has been demanding a halt in the direct recruitment of SMO and the implementation of modified assured career progression.
In the wake of the strike, state health authorities deployed doctors from the National Health Mission, medical colleges, ESIC, consultants, and Ayush practitioners to ensure that healthcare services continued without disruption.
Meanwhile, in Ambala and Kurukshetra, there was not much of an impact on healthcare services due to the strike.
Civil Surgeon Ambala Dr Rakesh Sahal said that 168 doctors are enrolled in the Ambala district, and they were present on Wednesday. He informed that all departments, including lab, ultrasound and X-ray, are functioning, and that patients are receiving proper medical care.
He further assured that all community health centres and primary health centres were working smoothly, adding that there has been no impact in Ambala due to the strike.
In Kurukshetra, the strike failed to evoke a response with all doctors reporting for duty at the Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Narain District Hospital.
Chief Medical Officer Dr Sukhbir Singh Mehla said that while 23 of the 124 doctors were absent on Monday, 18 were absent on Tuesday. But not a single doctor skipped duty on Wednesday.
He said that medical services were functioning smoothly and patients did not face any inconvenience.
