Toll in Haryana violence rises to five, curfew imposed in Nuh
Gurugram/Chandigarh (PTI): A mosque was attacked in the Sector 57 area of Gurugram, leading to the death of a man and taking the toll in the violence that erupted over an attempt to stop a Vishva Hindu Parishad procession in Nuh district to five, police said on Tuesday.
Authorities on Tuesday imposed a curfew in Nuh where two home guards were killed and many others, including several policemen, injured on Monday, as Haryana Home Minister Anil Vij alleged that the violence was "engineered".
In Gurugram, a 26-year-old man was killed and a mosque set ablaze in Sector 57 as the violence spread from neighbouring Nuh, the police said.
The mob opened fire in which two persons were injured. One of them died during treatment. The victim has been identified as Saad, a native of Bihar, a senior officer said.
According to the police, the mob reached the Anjuman Masjid in Sector 57 after midnight. Some people in the crowd opened fire at the people present in the mosque and also set it ablaze.
In Nuh, two more people injured in the violence on Monday succumbed to their injuries. The victims are home guards Neeraj and Gursewak and Bhadas village resident Shakti. The identity of the fourth victim is still to be ascertained.
Ten policemen were among 23 injured in the violence in Nuh. The police have registered 11 FIRs in the district and detained 27 people in connection with the rioting.
At least 120 vehicles were damaged during the violence in the district. Of these, 50, including eight belonging to the police, were set ablaze.
Vij on Tuesday said a curfew has been clamped on Nuh district.
Alleging that the violence was "engineered", he told PTI Video, "Somebody masterminded it (the violence) but I do not want to reach any conclusions. We will investigate this and every single person responsible will be brought to justice." As news of the violence in Muslim-dominated Nuh spread on Monday, mobs in Sohna set ablaze four vehicles and a shop, apparently belonging to people from that community.
The situation in Nuh and Sohna continues to be tense. However, there were no reports of any fresh violence on Tuesday. Police and paramilitary forces have been deployed in large numbers in Nuh and the other affected areas, the police said.
According to officials, the situation is under control in Nuh. Thirteen companies of central forces have already reached the district, while six others will reach soon.
Police have begun flag marches in Nuh while the district administration has appealed to the public to maintain peace.
Security has been tightened at all religious places following the Nuh violence and the attack on the Gurugram mosque, the police said.
Mobile internet services were suspended in Nuh and Faridabad up to Wednesday. Educational institutes were ordered to remain shut on Tuesday in Gurugram, Faridabad and Palwal districts as a precautionary measure.
Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Monday said "strictest action" will be taken against those responsible for the incident.
"Today's incident is unfortunate. I appeal to all the people to maintain peace in the state. The guilty will not be spared at any cost, and strictest action will be taken against them," the chief minister said in a tweet in Hindi.
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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.
