No further Internet cut at Delhi borders 'as of now': MHA official
New Delhi, Feb 3: There has been no further extension of the Internet suspension at Delhi's borders which was till the night of February 2, a Union Home Ministry official said on Wednesday.
The ministry had announced suspension of Internet at the three Delhi border points of Singhu, Tikri and Ghazipur where farmers protests are underway from 11 pm on January 29 effective till 11 pm on January 31.
Later it had extended the suspension till 11 pm on February 2, with a ministry official saying the decision was taken to "maintain public safety and averting public emergency" under Temporary Suspension of Telecom Services (Public Emergency or Public Safety) Rules 2017.
"The MHA has not further extended the suspension of internet in Delhi's borders as of now," the ministry official told PTI.
Thousands of protestors are camping at Delhi's borders since November with a demand that three new agri-marketing laws be repealed and minimum support price for crops guaranteed, even as the government has maintained that the legislations enacted in September are pro-farmer.
The ongoing protests also resulted in violence in the national capital on Republic Day during which hundreds of people, including policemen and women, were injured and one protestor died after his speeding tractor overturned.
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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.
