Don't order special meals for yourself during flights: Air India to its pilots
New Delhi: Air India has instructed its pilots to not order special meals for themselves during the flights as they are required to adhere to a "meal schedule laid down by the company", according to an internal communication of the national carrier.
"It has been brought to the notice of the undersigned that flight crew are ordering special meal/s which are against the said rules," Amitabh Singh, Director Operations, Air India, said in an e-mail to pilots on Wednesday.
"The only crew, who for medical reasons, may order for special meals viz. food recommended by the doctor," he added.
According to a senior airline official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, the pilots have been found to be ordering special meals for themselves such as burgers and soups, which ultimately increase the airline's food expenses and disturbs the food management.
"Crew should adhere to the meal schedules laid down by the company and should not authorise meal uplift on their own," Singh wrote in his e-mail.
"In light of the above, all cockpit crew are instructed not to order special meals RPT not to order special meals as and when operating a flight/SOD (Staff on Duty) movement," he added.
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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.
