Multi-agency searches at many locations in Gujarat for suspected tax offences; several being questio
Ahmedabad (PTI): In a multi-agency operation led by the Gujarat Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS), officials are carrying out searches at around 200 locations in the state linked to more than 100 firms, and questioning people for suspected tax evasion and similar offences, sources said.
Apart from the ATS, officials of the state Goods and Services Tax (GST) department and Ahmedabad crime branch are involved in the mega operation, they said.
According to the sources, the searches are being carried out in several districts of the state, including Ahmedabad, Bhavnagar and Jamnagar, against 122 firms.
The authorities are questioning around 74 suspects in this connection and the operation is likely to expose large-scale tax-related offences, they said.
Several cases of issuance of bogus bills to commit input tax credit (ITC) fraud have been detected in the state in recent times, the sources said.
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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.
