Reports of trouble in NDA surface as Jitan Ram Manjhi alleges his party wasn't given fair deal
Patna: Signs of unease within the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) have begun to emerge, with Union minister and Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM) founder Jitan Ram Manjhi alleging that his party was not given a fair deal in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
Speaking to reporters in Patna, the former Bihar chief minister said he had raised concerns about the issue with BJP national president J.P. Nadda and JD(U) working president Sanjay Jha. "My party workers have been feeling sidelined by both the BJP and JD(U)," Manjhi said. However, he added that both Nadda and Jha have assured him that their concerns will be addressed appropriately in the upcoming assembly elections.
According to Manjhi, the HAM was initially promised two Lok Sabha seats and one Rajya Sabha berth. “But out of loyalty to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, we accepted what was ultimately given,” he revealed. In the 2024 general elections, HAM was allocated just one seat—Gaya—which Manjhi contested and won.
Looking ahead to the Bihar Assembly elections which is expected to be held during October-November this year, Manjhi said he wanted his party to contest 35-40 seats in the 243 seat-strong assembly.
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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.
