Left protest march against Ker Governor creating anarchy in state: Congress
Thiruvananthapuram (PTI): The Congress on Tuesday criticised the LDF move to carry out a march to the Raj Bhavan here in protest against Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan's actions regarding universities and bills passed by the state legislature, saying it is creating "anarchy" in the state.
AICC general secretary K C Venugopal said the government appointed Vice-Chancellors in universities in the state in violation of norms and "now to change that situation, they are carrying out a protest march against the Governor."
"It is creating anarchy in the state," he said, while speaking to the media in New Delhi.
The senior Congress leader claimed that the state government was responsible for the actions of the Governor and said both were acting in furtherance of their established interests.
Venugopal also claimed that Khan too was equally responsible as he forgot his Constitutional position and allegedly carried out "publicity stunts."
Meanwhile, the LDF went forward with its planned protest march, which saw a huge turnout, from different locations in the state capital to the Raj Bhavan where various senior leaders of the Left Front were already present.
CPI state secretary Kanam Rajendran, told reporters outside the Raj Bhavan, that it was a great beginning to a fight to protect higher education and democratic rights of the people in Kerala.
He also said the position of Chancellor was not a Constitutional post and was one given to the Governor by the state legislature.
CPI(M) state secretary M V Govindan, speaking to the media, said the Governor was not acting in accordance with the law or the Constitution, be it the functioning of universities or the signing of the bills passed by the legislature.
A Governor cannot be allowed to paralyse the functioning of the state in this manner, he also said.
"We are clear we cannot have him as Chancellor," Govindan asserted.
The State Cabinet recently sent an ordinance for the assent of Khan to remove him from the post of Chancellor of universities in Kerala.
Govindan also said that the Left has not forced anyone to participate in the march and it never had to This was in response to reporters pointing out that the BJP has alleged in a plea moved in the Kerala High Court that government servants were being compelled to take part in the protest.
The agitation is organised under the aegis of an education protection forum which would hold protests in all district centres too, CPI(M) had said in a statement.
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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.
