Will protect minorities, their properties in Bengal: Mamata Banerjee
Kolkata(PTI): West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday said Muslims were aggrieved because of the enactment of the Waqf (Amendment) Act and assured the minority community members that she would protect them and their properties in the state.
Addressing a programme of the Jain community here, Banerjee asserted that she will not allow "any divide and rule policy" to persist in the state.
"I know you are aggrieved because of the enactment of the Waqf Act. Have faith, nothing will happen in Bengal by which one can divide and rule. You send out a message that all have to stay together," she said.
Banerjee, also the Trinamool Congress supremo, appealed to the people not to pay heed to those who provoke them to launch a political movement.
Apparently referring to the violence over the Waqf (Amendment) Bill in Murshidabad district on Tuesday, she said, "See the situation in the bordering areas of Bangladesh. This (Waqf Bill) should have not been passed now. We have 33 per cent of minorities in Bengal. What will I do with them?"
The Waqf (Amendment) Bill was passed by the Lok Sabha on April 3, and by the Rajya Sabha in the early hours of the next day after marathon debates in both Houses of Parliament.
President Droupadi Murmu gave her assent to the Bill on April 5.
"History says that Bengal, Bangladesh, Pakistan and India all were together. Partition took place later. And those are living here, it's our job to give them protection," she said.
Banerjee said that if people are together, they can conquer the world.
"Some people will provoke you to assemble and launch a movement. I will appeal to all of you not to do it. Please remember when Didi (Banerjee) is here, she will protect you and your property. Let us have trust in each other," the chief minister said.
At the Jain community programme, Banerjee said she visits places of all religions and will continue to do so.
"Even if you shoot me dead, you will not be able to separate me from (that) unity. Every religion, caste, creed... all of them pray for humanity and we love them," she said.
Banerjee said she goes to Durga Puja, Kali Puja, Jain and Buddhist temples, gurudwara, church and Guru Ravidas temple.
"In Rajasthan, I visited Ajmer Sharif as well as Brahma Temple in Pushkar," she said.
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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.
