Plan to build Kedarnath replica in Delhi dropped
Dehradun, Aug 26: The proposed construction of a replica of Kedarnath in Delhi which had created a controversy recently has been withdrawn.
Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami had attended the foundation stone laying ceremony of the temple in Burari.
"We decided not to construct the temple as some people from Uttarakhand objected to it and we realised that it would hurt religious sentiments," Suman Mittal, president of the Kedarnath Dham Delhi Trust, which was to build the temple in Burari, said in a press release.
"We are constructing no temple with that name now," she said.
The Trust has also stopped accepting online donations for the construction of the temple through a QR code, she said.
The priests of the Himalayan temple located in Uttarakhand's Rudraprayag district had opposed its construction saying it was one of the 12 'Jyotirlingas' in the country and replicating it anywhere else meant showing disrespect to the centuries old temple.
The opposition Congress had taken out a march (padyatra) from Har Ki Pairi in Haridwar to the temple to protest its construction but had to call it off on the tenth day after reaching Sitapur a day ahead of its conclusion when heavy rain on the night of July 31 caused extensive damage to the Kedarnath trek route.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
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.
