Guwahati: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday lambasted those who have been criticising the efficacies of COVID-19 vaccines, saying that there should be no politics on public health.
At a function in Guwahati to extend the benefit of the central health insurance programme to all the armed police forces in India by launching 'Ayushman CAPF', Shah urged the personnel to get inoculated when their turn comes.
"There are some people who are spreading misinformation on vaccine. Come to another platform and let's have a duel. But why are you creating doubt over people's health and doing politics? There are other issues for that," he said.
Shah said the vaccines developed by Indian scientists are fully safe and the personnel from all forces will be vaccinated after health workers are covered.
"I appeal to all of you to go for the vaccine when your turn comes. Do not have any doubt over its efficacy.
We've already launched the world's biggest vaccination drive," he said.
Shah ceremoniously distributed the 'Ayushman CAPF' health cards among some personnel from the seven Central Armed Police Forces here.
He said that the personnel of the CAPFs had three prime concerns -- the existing health coverage was not comprehensive, the satisfaction of housing was not there and long duty hours without leaves.
"Our government is addressing all three concerns. For the health issue, we've launched the Ayushman CAPF today. This will give health insurance to around 50 lakh people in 24,000 hospitals, including 14,000 private ones, across the country," Shah said.
By May 1, the Ayushman CAPF process will be completed by offering health cards to all the personnel of the seven Central police forces, he added.
The Union minister said that the government and authorities of forces are trying to increase the satisfaction ratio of the personnel to 55 per cent by 2022 from 36 per cent two years ago, and further take it to 65 per cent by 2024.
"We've completed the examination process for 50,000 recruitments. Now, we'll start the process again to hire another 50,000 persons in the CAPFs. Our target is one hiring against one departure in five years. With this, everyone will be able to stay at home for 100 days in a year," he added.
An MoU was signed between the National Health Authority (NHA) and Union Home Ministry in presence of Shah, Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai and state Health Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma at the CRPF Group Centre in Guwahati.
Shah said that launching the ambitious scheme on the 125th birth anniversary of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose is a matter of big satisfaction for him and the union government.
"Prime Minister Narendra Modi has decided that we'll celebrate Netaji's birthday as 'Parakram Diwas' every year. And today, we're launching a new scheme for the 'parakrami' jawans of the CAPFs. We can't have a better day than this," he said.
Under the initiative 'Ayushman CAPF', around 28 lakh personnel from Central Armed Police Force (CAPF), Assam Rifles and NSG and their families will be covered by 'Ayushman Bharat: Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana' (AB PM-JAY).
CRPF Director General A P Maheshwari expressed his gratitude for bringing the CAPFs under AB PM-JAY scheme.
The Union home minister also virtually inaugurated Sashastra Seema Bal's (SSB) 168 quarters, a 10-bedded hospital and an administrative building located at different places of Assam.
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Jaipur, Mar 28: Young Riyan Parag showed why he is considered a precocious talent as he struck a stunning 84 not out off 45 balls to set up a 12-run win for Rajasthan Royals against Delhi Capitals in their IPL match here on Thursday.
Sent in to bat, RR were reduced to 36 for 3 in the eighth over but the 22-year-old Parag single-handedly took the home side to 185 for 5 with a magnificent unbeaten knock studded with seven fours and six sixes.
Parag, who was promoted to number 4 by the team management this season and made 43 in the previous match, took 25 runs off veteran South African pacer Anrich Nortje with scores of 4, 4, 6, 4, 6, 1 in the final over to hit his highest T20 score.
Chasing 186 for a win, DC could only manage 173 for 5 in 20 overs though South African youngster Tristan Stubbs (44 not out off 23 balls) kept them in the hunt till the final over from which they needed 17 runs.
Avesh Khan conceded just four runs to help RR win their second consecutive match.
South African pacer Nandre Burger and Yuzvendra Chahal took two wickets apiece to also contribute in the RR win.
"Definitely disappointed. The best thing to do from here is to learn from it. The bowlers did well through the 15-16 overs. But the batters did well at the death, hopefully we do better in the next game," DC skipper Rishabh Pant said.
DC were reduced to 34 for 2 in the fourth over with Burger taking two wickets in three balls in a fine display of fast bowling.
Burger, who was brought in as Impact Sub for Shimron Hetmyer, dismissed opener Mitchell Marsh (23 off 12 balls) and Ricky Bhui (0) in the fourth over.
DC captain Rishabh Pant came out to bat at the fall of Bhui's wicket and along with senior batter David Warner built the innings without taking too much risk. Delhi were 89 for 2 at the halfway stage.
Warner was the more aggressive one as he got the boundaries to keep DC in the hunt. The senior Australian batter fell one run short of his fifty courtesy a brilliant diving catch by Sandeep Sharma off the bowling of Avesh in the 12th over.
Warner and Pant were involved in a crucial 67-run partnership for the third wicket.
Playing in his 100th IPL match and 14 months after a horrible car crash, Pant tried to build the innings with occasional boundaries. But he got out for a 26-ball 28 as Chahal induced a faint lower edge for Sanju Samson to do the rest behind the stumps in the 14th over.
The asking rate shot up to more than 13 runs an over and DC needed 66 from the last five overs.
Stubbs kept DC in the game with two consecutive sixes off Ravichandran Ashwin in the 17th over, but in the end the Delhi side were short by 12 runs.
They needed 34 runs from the final two overs which they could not get. It was DC's second consecutive loss.
Earlier, Parag shared 54 and 52 runs respectively with Ravichandran Ashwin (29) and Dhruv Jurel (20) after RR made a shaky start.
Royals captain Samson struck three consecutive boundaries in the fourth over bowled by pacer Mukesh Kumar before nicking a Khaleel Ahmed delivery two overs later to Pant to get out for 15.
RR were 30 for 2 by then as Mukesh had given DC their first breakthrough with the wicket of Yashasvi Jaiswal (5).
The Royals were in more trouble after wrist spinner Kuldeep Yadav literally forced his captain Pant to take a review, which later proved to be successful, to dismiss Englishman Jos Buttler for an LBW decision.
Ashwin came out to bat at number five and he lofted a Kuldeep delivery for a six to help RR reach 58 for 3 at halfway stage. He gave Nortje even a harsher treatment with two sixes in the next over that yielded 15 runs.
Ashwin, however, holed out to Tristan Stubbs near the boundary ropes for a 19-ball 29.
Parag then made his presence felt, striking two boundaries and a six off Ahmed to take RR past 100 in the 15th over.