AIADMK goes to police against non-members using its flag, Sasikala's return to TN on Feb 8
Chennai, Feb 4: Signalling a tough stand against expelled leader V K Sasikala, the ruling AIADMK in Tamil Nadu on Thursday said it has petitioned the state police chief to restrain non-members of the party from using its flag, days after she travelled in a car fitted with it in Bengaluru.
The petition has been submitted ahead of the return of Sasikala, confidante of late Tamil Nadu chief minister J Jayalalithaa, after a gap of four years on completion of her jail term in Bengaluru in a corruption case.
Incidentally, Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam general secretary T T V Dhinakaran said Sasikala, confidante of late Tamil Nadu chief minister J Jayalalithaa and his aunt, would return to the state next Monday, instead of earlier schedule of Sunday.
Speaking to reporters here, AIADMK deputy coordinator K P Munusamy said the 'main reason' for the petition was due to the use of the party's flag by Sasikala in Bengaluru on Sunday after her discharge from a hospital where she was treated for COVID-19.
The plea was submitted to restrain non-members from using the AIADMK flag, the senior leader said adding Sasikala was not a member of his party and she had no moral right to use the flag.
It is seen as a move to ensure that the AIADMK flag was not used by Sasikala or her associates in the AMMK when she returned to Tamil Nadu.
The AIADMK flag was mounted on the bonnet of a car she travelled following her recent discharge from the hospital in the Karnataka capital after recovery from COVID-19.
Sasikala was set free on January 27 following completion of a four year prison sentence in a corruption case.
The ruling party had then itself questioned the propriety of Sasikala's action when she had been ousted from the party.
Dhinakaran had defended the use of the AIADMK flag, saying Sasikala continued to be the general secretary of the party and litigation relating to her "so-called expulsion" and connected matters were pending before the court.
Sasikala was expelled from the party in September, 2017 along with Dhinakaran and others by the general council of the combined AIADMK under the leadership of Chief Minister K Palaniswami and his deputy O Panneerselvam after the two merged their respective factions.
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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.
