Mayor playing 'politics' over garbage disposal issue, says MCD Commissioner
New Delhi (PTI): A day after Mayor Shelly Oberoi pulled up MCD commissioner Ashwani Kumar over the "worsening condition" of garbage disposal in the city, he hit back and accused her of playing "politics" over the issue.
Kumar further alleged that the delay in forming the standing committee, the highest decision-making body of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi, has further resulted in many other projects being put on hold.
"The mayor is just playing politics. They have done nothing to secure the corporation's financial dues from the Delhi government, leaving the MCD in deep financial distress," Kumar told PTI.
Oberoi on Sunday slammed the MCD commissioner over the "worsening condition" of garbage disposal in the entire Delhi, especially in West Zone and Central Zone and directed him to ensure better collection and clearance of waste.
For the past few days, garbage collection in these areas has been irregular, resulting in an accumulation of waste on streets and bins, she said in her letter.
The stench from decomposing waste is unbearable, Oberoi said.
Oberoi said she has brought this to the commissioner's notice many times but no progress has been made.
In the letter, she directed Kumar to accompany her for daily inspections from August 20 to September 2 to the 12 zones of the MCD to ensure proper cleanliness and sanitation.
"Garbage collection and disposal will be the personal responsibility of the MCD commissioner, who will be held responsible for any unsanitary conditions in any part of the city," Oberoi said.
According to an official, the extended contract period of the garbage disposal concessionaire in the Central Delhi zone ended on July 25. In the West Delhi zone, the civic body is facing payment-related issues with the hired agency.
Proposals with expenditure of Rs 5 crore and above require the standing committee's approval, which has been pending for around 1.5 years.
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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.
