Sharad Pawar wonders if his Z plus security an attempt to get ‘authentic information'
Mumbai (PTI): NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar has said that the Z plus security cover accorded to him could be an arrangement to get “authentic information” about him as Maharashtra assembly polls are around the corner.
The Centre on Wednesday accorded Z plus – the highest category of armed VIP security cover – to Pawar, official sources had said.
Asked about the security upgrade for him, the 83-year-old politician told the media in Navi Mumbai on Thursday that he wasn’t aware of the reason behind the move.
“A home ministry official told me that the government has decided to give three persons Z plus security and I was one of them. I asked who the other two were. I was told RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat and Union home minister Amit Shah,” said Pawar.
“Maybe since elections are approaching, this can be an arrangement to get authentic information (about me),” he quipped.
A team of 55 armed personnel from the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) has been earmarked as part of Pawar’s Z plus security cover. A threat assessment review by central agencies had recommended a strong security cover for Pawar, official sources had said earlier.
The VIP security cover categorisations begin from the highest Z+ followed by Z, Y+, Y and X.
Sharad Pawar’s NCP (SP) is a part of the opposition bloc Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), also comprising the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT) and Congress, that performed impressively in the held Lok Sabha polls winning 30 of the 48 seats in the state.
The ruling Mahayuti coalition of BJP, Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena and NCP headed by Ajit Pawar had to contend with only 17 seats.
Elections to the 288-member Maharashtra assembly are likely to be held in October-November.
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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.
