Parliament passes bill to recognise Amaravati as Andhra Pradesh's permanent capital
New Delhi (PTI): Parliament on Thursday passed a bill seeking to recognise Amaravati as the sole and permanent capital of Andhra Pradesh with the Rajya Sabha giving its nod to it with a voice vote.
The Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation (Amendment) Bill, 2026, which will scuttle any future bid to alter the decision of making Amaravati the capital of the southern state was passed by the Lok Sabha on Wednesday.
Replying to the debate on the bill in the Rajya Sabha, Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai said Andhra Pradesh is getting a new capital in Amaravati and gave his best wishes to the state.
"We hope that Andhra Pradesh touches new heights of development and plays a meaningful role in fulfilling the dream and resolve of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in achieving 'Viksit Bharat'," said the minister while terming it a historic occasion.
Supporting the bill, Masthan Rao Yadav Beedha of TDP said after a lot of planning, Amaravati was chosen for its history, location and potential.
Several other members, including TDP member and Minister of Civil Aviation K Rammohan Naidu also supported the bill.
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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.
