Karnataka CM Yediyurappa dismisses rumours about his resignation, says not at all true
New Delhi: Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa on Saturday dismissed rumours about his resignation, saying it is not at all true.
He also said that he will meet Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and BJP chief J P Nadda before returning to Bengaluru.
"Not at all. Not at all," Yediyurappa told reporters at the Karnataka Bhavan here when asked if he has resigned.
There is no truth in the rumour, asserted the chief minister, who will return to Bengaluru on Saturday after meeting the BJP chief and the Union ministers.
On Friday, Yediyurappa had met Prime Minister Narendra Modi and discussed pending state works, including Mekedatu project across river Cauvery.
The meeting came at a time political circles are abuzz with speculations of Yediyurappa being replaced as the chief minister.
Repeated open remarks by some disgruntled leaders within the Karnataka BJP targeting him and his family with accusations of corruption and interference in administration have embarrassed the party and the government, despite warnings of disciplinary action by the leadership.
Another section of the party is demanding the replacement of Yediyurappa (79) citing his age and the need of projecting a new CM face ahead of assembly polls in 2023, sources had said.
On a possible cabinet rejig, Yediyurappa, before the meeting with the prime minister, had said, "I will tell you if there is any such discussion with (party) seniors over the restructuring or expansion of the Cabinet."
An official statement issued after the Friday meeting had said the chief minister discussed various state issues with the prime minister.
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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.
