CM Siddaramaiah hints at free bus passes for journalists in rural areas
Davanagere: Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Saturday said that the demand for free bus passes for journalists in rural areas will be seriously considered in the upcoming budget and an appropriate decision will be taken.
Speaking at the 38th state journalists conference orgsnised by the Karnataka Working Journalists' Union, Siddaramaiah said his government is always with the journalists to assist them.
''There's a demand for free passes for reporters working in rural areas to travel on government buses. We will consider this demand in the upcoming budget and take appropriate action that favours it,'' he said.
He said that the government has increased the family pension for journalists from Rs 6,000 to Rs 12,000. Also, newspaper hawkers were honoured with the Rajyotsava Award, he added. The chief minister appealed to the journalists not to lose objectivity, truth and commitment while reporting, and try to become the voice of the voiceless.
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He also asked the scribes not to give credence to superstitions.
Siddaramaiah recalled that when a crow sat on his car sometime in 2016, the news anchors debated in their studios how this bad omen of an inauspicious bird sitting on his car would impact his political career.
''Some said I would not complete my term (due to crow) while some other channels predicted that I would go soon after tabling the budget. However, I completed an uninterrupted five-year term. I was the only chief minister after Devaraj Urs who completed the full term,'' the chief minister noted.
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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.
