Nagaland govt denies permission to hold 'Gau Mahasabha'
Kohima (PTI): The Nagaland government has decided not to grant permission to ‘Gau Mahasabha’ (mega meeting for cows) in Kohima on September 28, a senior minister said on Wednesday.
Shankaracharya of Jyotirmath, Swami Avimukteshvaranand Saraswati, is scheduled to preside over the meeting.
In Christian-majority Nagaland, beef is consumed by a majority of the population.
The decision not to allow the programme was taken during a Cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio, government spokesperson and minister C L John told reporters here.
The Cabinet highlighted the protection given under Article 371A of the Constitution on the religious and social practices of the Nagas as well as the Naga customary law and procedure, John said.
During the meeting, the Cabinet was apprised of the opposition voiced by various civil society organisations and political parties in the state.
Objections to the event were raised by the ruling Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP), its allies BJP as well as the Naga Peoples’ Front (NPF) and civil society organisations such as Naga Mothers’ Association and Naga Students’ Federation.
John said, “The Cabinet did not grant permission to hold the programme in the interest of maintenance of public order.”
The government is also of the view that it will be better for the organisers not to come to Nagaland to hold that programme, the minister said.
“Beef has been part of the Naga cuisine since time immemorial,” Naga Mothers’ Association president Vilanuo Yhome told PTI.
The state BJP also denounced the proposed programme.
“It has nothing to do with the Nagaland BJP. It is imperative to address this issue in the context of Nagaland’s socio-religious and cultural fabric,” state BJP president Benjamin Yepthomi said in a statement.
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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.
