AIMIM seeks alliance with MVA to 'defeat BJP' in Maharashtra assembly polls
Mumbai: Former MP Imtiaz Jaleel of the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) has expressed the party's intention to join forces with the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance for the upcoming Maharashtra state assembly elections. Jaleel emphasized that the primary goal is to defeat the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which leads the ruling Mahayuti coalition, alongside factions of the Shiv Sena and the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP).
In an interview with Marathi news channel ABP Majha, Jaleel reiterated AIMIM's stance from the Lok Sabha elections, stating that the party is offering to join the MVA to prevent the BJP from returning to power. He noted that the decision to include AIMIM in the alliance rests with the MVA.
Jaleel criticized the ruling Mahayuti government's 'Ladki Bahin' scheme, calling it a ploy to gain votes rather than a genuine effort to help women in the state. He further clarified that AIMIM would contest the elections independently if their offer is not accepted by the MVA. However, he ruled out any alliance with Prakash Ambedkar's Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA), which failed to secure a single seat in the 2024 general elections in Maharashtra.
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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.
