3 more held over clashes between 2 groups during Ganesh idol procession in Mandya
Nagamangala (PTI): Three more people have been held in connection with the clashes that broke out between two groups during a Lord Ganesh idol procession, police said on Friday.
The situation in Nagamangala town in Mandya district has returned to normal two days after the clashes on Wednesday following which mobs went on a rampage targeting several shops and vehicles leading to tension.
Though the situation remains peaceful in the town, additional police forces have been deployed and prohibitory orders preventing the assembly of more than four people have been imposed in the area till September 14 as a precautionary measure.
With the fresh arrests, the total number of people held in the case now stands at 55.
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A team of experts from the Forensic Science Laboratory also visited the spot on Thursday to collect evidence.
"The situation is peaceful here and besides the 52 people already arrested, we have secured three more people in connection with the incident. We have additional police forces deployed and prohibitory orders will be in place till September 14," Mandya Superintendent of Police Mallikarjun Baldandi told PTI.
A case has been registered for unlawful assembly, attempt to murder, obstructing public servants, destruction of public property and other sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
A few people, including two policemen, sustained minor injuries in stone-pelting.
The situation has been brought under control and additional security forces have been deployed, police said.
According to police, an argument broke out between two groups, when the Ganesh idol procession by devotees from Badarikoppalu village reached a place of worship on Wednesday, and some miscreants hurled stones, which escalated the situation. Following the clashes between the two groups, a few shops were vandalised and goods torched and vehicles set on fire on Wednesday night, they added.
Police used mild force to disperse the crowd to control the situation.
The group of youth that carried out the procession halted and staged a protest near the police station, demanding the immediate arrest of those responsible for the violence.
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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.
