Farmers' Protest: Punjab SC commission asks ACS home to intervene to ensure relief to Nodeep Kaur
Chandigarh, Feb 8: The Punjab State Commission for Scheduled Castes on Monday asked a state additional chief secretary to intervene in the case pertaining to labour rights activist Nodeep Kaur, who was arrested on January 12 for allegedly gheraoing an industrial unit with others in Haryana's Sonipat.
Kaur, whose bail was denied by the Sonipat court early this month, is lodged at the Karnal jail in Haryana, police officials said.
Taking cognisance of some media reports, the commission said the Punjab additional chief secretary for home affairs and justice should intervene in the matter and ensure relief to her at the earliest.
Commission chairperson Tejinder Kaur said the commission has taken the suo motu since the victim is a resident of Punjab's Muktsar district
In a communique to the additional chief secretary, the panel also sought a report in this regard by February 23 after initiating immediate requisite action, according to the statement.
The 23-year-old activist, who is a member of the Mazdoor Adhikar Sangathan, is facing charges of attempt to murder and extortion. She along with others was arrested for allegedly gheraoing an industrial unit and demanding money from the company in Sonipat, said a Sonipat police official on Monday.
A team of police personnel was allegedly attacked with sticks when they reached the site, said the official, adding that some policemen suffered injuries
Recently, author and lawyer Meena Harris, who's the niece of US VP Kamala Harris and has spoken about the farmers' protest in the past, also tweeted about the assault that Kaur had allegedly been subjected to in police custody.
Some farmer leaders and student activists in Punjab have launched a campaign for the release of Kaur.
on january 12—haryana police abducted nodeep kaur from her tent at singhu protest. since then she has been beaten & sexually assaulted while under police custody.
— rupi kaur (@rupikaur_) January 31, 2021
nodeep is 23 yold punjabi dalit woman & trade union activist who has been bravely speaking up about the protests. pic.twitter.com/XvN6TJwKj8
Weird to see a photo of yourself burned by an extremist mob but imagine what they would do if we lived in India. I'll tell you—23 yo labor rights activist Nodeep Kaur was arrested, tortured & sexually assaulted in police custody. She's been detained without bail for over 20 days. pic.twitter.com/Ypt2h1hWJz
— Meena Harris (@meenaharris) February 5, 2021
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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.
