Haryana Police steps up security ahead of 'chakka jam' on Saturday
Chandigarh: Haryana police have stepped up security measures in view of the protesting farmer unions' call for a countrywide 'chakka jam' on Saturday, an official said.
Senior police officers have been asked to personally supervise security and traffic arrangements at vital junctions and roads while district police chiefs have been directed to ensure deployment of adequate personnel, according to an official communication issued to them.
"In view of the January 26 incidents in Delhi, some anti-social elements and aggressive youth creating law and order problems, cannot be ruled out, as per the communication dated February 4.
It is assessed that as part of the protest programme on February 6, protesting farmers/unions may attempt road blockades of important national highways, state highways and interior roads, it said, asking the police to ensure necessary security arrangements are in place.
The police commissioners and district police chiefs have also been asked to make all out efforts to liaise with local leaders of farmer organisations to ensure peaceful conduct of their proposed programme, it said.
Farmer unions had on Monday announced that they would hold a countrywide chakka jam on February 6 and block national and state highways for three hours to protest against the internet ban in areas near their agitation sites, harassment allegedly meted out to them by authorities, and other issues.
Meanwhile, Haryana Home and Health Minister Anil Vij has appealed to the peasant leaders to call off the chakka jam.
Replying to a question on the issue in Gurugram on Thursday, Vij said, "Biggest problems in the world and even international issues are solved through dialogue .
Vij said the government is always ready for talks and the protesting farmers must come forward.
The government is always ready for talks and the prime minister has said the doors for talks are open. So, they should come forward, he said.
He also said that in a democracy everyone has the right to protest and hold dharnas, but while exercising that right, one should also keep in mind that they should not violate the rights of others and common people should not be inconvenienced .
"So, it is my appeal to farmers leaders that they should call off their chakka jam programme, said Vij.
Thousands of farmers have been protesting since late November at Delhi's borders with Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, demanding a rollback of the three agri laws.
The protesting farmers have expressed apprehension that these laws would pave the way for the dismantling of the minimum support price (MSP) system, leaving them at the "mercy" of big corporations.
However, the government has maintained that the new laws will bring better opportunities to farmers and help introduce new technologies in agriculture.
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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.
