Rahul turned down resolution on caste census at INDIA bloc meetings on Mamata's pressure: Lalan
Patna (PTI): Congress leader Rahul Gandhi had turned down JD(U)'s demand for a resolution on caste census at INDIA bloc meetings under pressure from West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee, Union Minister Rajiv Ranjan Singh Lalan claimed on Sunday.
Singh was JD(U) president when the party was part of the INDIA bloc and used to accompany Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar to the coalition's meetings.
"Rahul Gandhi is simply shedding crocodile tears over the caste census issue... He is trying to confuse people. When the Bihar government conducted a caste-based survey in the state, we were part of the INDIA bloc, and we kept asking him to pass a resolution on this in the coalition's meeting. Two meetings were held, but Rahul Gandhi had turned down our request under pressure from West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee," he claimed.
Singh made the claim in response to journalists asking him about Gandhi's recent statement on the issue.
"When Nitish Kumar got the caste survey done in Bihar, Rahul Gandhi never praised him for this," he added.
Addressing the "Samvidhan Samman Sammelan" in Prayagraj on Saturday, Gandhi had said, "90 per cent of people are sitting out of the system. They have skills, and knowledge but no connections (with the system). That is why we have raised the demand for a caste census."
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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.
