Situation tense but under control after clashes between students, police in Manipur
Imphal (PTI): The situation in Manipur remained tense but under control on Wednesday after students clashed with security forces during their march to Raj Bhavan here a day before, police said.
Curfew, which was imposed in the state's capital Imphal on Tuesday afternoon, continued to be in place this morning, while additional security forces were deployed and frequent patrolling by policemen was underway in the town to avoid any untoward incident, a senior officer said.
"The situation remains tense but under control," he said.
A clash broke out between students and security forces during a march to the Raj Bhavan here on Tuesday.
The government on Tuesday evening issued an amended order, stating that the suspension of internet services in the wake of intensified agitation by students applies only to the five valley districts.
The agitating students attempted to march towards the Raj Bhavan in Imphal to press for their demands to remove the DGP and security advisor to the state government.
The police had fired tear gas shells to disperse students who were accused of pelting security forces with stones in Khwairamband and Kakwa Naorem Leikai areas in the state capital.
More than 55 students were injured in the clashes and admitted to RIMS hospital, a students' body claimed.
The Raj Bhavan, in a statement issued late on Tuesday night, said, "Representatives of students met Governor Lakshman Prasad Acharya and submitted a memorandum."
They urged the governor to take up appropriate steps to fulfil their demands, it said.
The governor assured them that he would take steps in the best interest of the students and the people of Manipur, the statement said.
Meanwhile, search operations and area domination exercises were underway in Kangpokpi district and arms and explosives were recovered, police 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.
