UP: Women block road in Kasaiganj to protest proposed liquor shop near residential area
Etah (UP) (PTI): Women in Uttar Pradesh’s Kasaiganj district on Wednesday took to the streets against the proposed opening of a country liquor shop in their locality, alleging that “it could lead to antisocial activities in the area”, police said.
The protest took place in the Gangeshwar Colony area along the Sarawati Shishu Mandir Road, where residents, particularly women, gathered in large numbers and raised slogans against the administration.
According to officials, the road blockade disrupted traffic for several hours.
Locals said they had been opposing the proposed liquor outlet as it is located between a residential neighbourhood and a route frequently used by children to go to school.
The women alleged that opening a liquor shop at the site would lead to an increase in anti-social activities and create an atmosphere of insecurity in the area.
They expressed concern over the safety of women and school-going girls, saying the route is used daily by residents and students, and opening a liquor shop would make it difficult for them to commute.
"The shop is being proposed on a road leading to a school, and it may adversely impact children," one of the protesters said.
"The agitation would continue until there is a clear assurance that the liquor shop licence is cancelled or the outlet is relocated," said another protester, Pallavi Bhardwaj.
The demonstrators asserted that they would not allow the liquor shop to open under any circumstances, calling it a matter of safety and the future of their children.
Upon receiving information about the protest, police personnel reached the spot and attempted to pacify the protesters.
Police Circle Officer Aanchal Chauhan said, "The matter is being examined, and a report will be sent to senior officials after taking into account the objections raised by locals for an appropriate decision."
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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.
