Will contest for CM's post if there is leadership change, says senior MLA Shamanuru Shivashankarappa
Davangere (Karnataka), Sep 11: Senior Congress MLA Shamanuru Shivashankarappa on Wednesday said he will also be in the contest for the Chief Minister post if the legislators support him, in the event of leadership change in Karnataka.
The 93-year-old, however, said the incumbent CM Siddaramaiah is running a good administration and added: "let him continue until he has the blessings of the high command."
"There is no question of senior or junior in politics. Whomever majority of the elected legislators support, high command says yes to them, that's the practice. If the situation comes, I will also contest, I won't leave," Shivashankarappa told reporters.
His son, S S Mallikarjun, is a Minister in the Siddaramaiah Cabinet, while daughter-in-law Prabha Mallikarjun is Davangere MP.
"I said, I will, the legislators should first accept and support me," he said when asked if he is in the race being the senior-most MLA.
ALSO READ: CM post not vacant, no doubt that I will continue in the position, asserts Siddaramaiah
Shivashankarappa joined the list of party leaders weighing in for the Chief Minister's post in the event of leadership change in Karnataka, while maintaining that the incumbent will continue in the position.
As Siddaramaiah's petition challenging the Governor's sanction for his prosecution in a site allotment case is being heard in the High Court, some Congress leaders seem to be preparing for a race to become CM, in case of leadership change.
Making it clear that the Chief Minister post in the state is not vacant for anyone to weigh in to occupy it now, Siddaramaiah on Wednesday asserted that there are no doubts in this regard and he will continue in the position.
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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.
