After Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal withdraws general consent to CBI
Kolkata, Nov 16: The West Bengal government Friday withdrew the 'general consent' accorded to the CBI to conduct raids or carry out investigations in the state, a top official at the state secretariat said.
The West Bengal government's decision came close on the heels of a similar step initiated by Andhra Pradesh.
After the Andhra Pradesh government's announcement, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee extended her support to her counterpart Chandrababu Naidu over the issue.
"What Chandrababu Naidu has done is absolutely right. The BJP is using the CBI and other agencies to pursue its own political interests and vendetta," she said.
The general consent was accorded to the CBI by the then Left Front government in West Bengal in 1989.
With Friday's notification, the central agency would henceforth require permission from the state government to carry out any sort of investigation except those ordered by the court, the official said, requesting anonymity.
The CBI functions under the Delhi Special Police Establishment Act.
In Andhra Pradesh, a 'confidential' government order withdrawing the 'general consent' accorded to the CBI to exercise its authority in the state, issued by Principal Secretary (Home) A R Anuradha on November 8, was "leaked" late Thursday night.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
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.
