Patna SDM accidentally lathi charged by policeman during Bharat Bandh protests
Patna: Patna Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) Shrikant Kundlik Khandekar was accidentally struck by a policeman during a lathi-charge on Wednesday, as law enforcement attempted to disperse supporters of the day-long Bharat Bandh.
The incident, which occurred at the Dak Bangla Square, was caught on camera and quickly went viral. The video shows Khandekar, who was dressed in plain clothes, being mistakenly hit by a policeman with a baton. The SDM is visibly surprised by the blow, after which his colleagues quickly inform the erring officer of the mistake. The policeman can be seen gesturing apologetically towards Khandekar, and the two are seen briefly conversing afterward.
The lathi-charge took place as protestors, who had earlier broken through barricades at the JP Golambar intersection, reached the busy Dak Bangla Square. To control the situation, security forces not only resorted to a lathi-charge but also used water cannons to disperse the crowd.
The Bharat Bandh, called by the ‘Reservation Bachao Sangharsh Samiti,’ saw a mixed response across the country, with significant impact in Bihar, Rajasthan, and Uttar Pradesh. The bandh was organized in opposition to a Supreme Court ruling on August 1, which allowed further sub-classification of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes by state governments to ensure a more equitable distribution of quotas among these groups.
The organisers of the bandh are demanding the reversal of the Supreme Court’s ruling and urging the central government to reject the decision. Among their other demands are: justice and equity for SCs, STs, and Other Backward Classes (OBCs); the passage of a new Act of Parliament on reservations; the release of caste-based data on SC/ST/OBCs in central government jobs; a target of 50% representation for these groups in the higher judiciary; and the filling up of backlog vacancies in central/state government jobs as well as public sector undertakings.
SDM saahab ko hi koot diya patna main 🤣🤣 (0.6 - 0.9) #BharatBandh pic.twitter.com/gCG8h9sK7Q
— Prayag (@theprayagtiwari) August 21, 2024
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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.
