Supreme Court judges sing for Kerala flood relief
NEW DELHI: In a rare, benevolent gesture, two Supreme Court judges on Monday sang at a cultural programme organised by apex court journalists in Delhi to raise money for relief and rehabilitation of people in flood-ravaged Kerala.
Justices Kurian Joseph and K M Joseph, both hailing from Kerala, performed at the event at the auditorium of Indian Society for International Law, opposite the Supreme Court complex. The programme was attended by Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra and several apex court and Delhi High Court judges.
The CJI said it was a consolidated effort for a cause.
"Some may feel that this is a celebration because there are certain performances, but I would like to say this is a consolidated effort of finding energy to raise contribution for a noble cause," Justice Misra said.
Justice K M Joseph, who was recently elevated to the apex court, sang a song from a classic Malayalam movie 'Amaram', which tells the story of a fisherman.
"Fishermen were the first to react when the state was reeling under severe floods. This song is a tribute to them," he said. Justice Kurian Joseph and playback singer Mohit Chauhan sang the song 'We shall overcome someday'.
More than Rs 10 lakh was collected during today's event. A few journalists also performed during the event.
Earlier, the apex court judges contributed Rs 25,000 each to the Kerala Chief Minister's Distress Relief Fund.
The apex court staff has donated one day's salary.
Attorney General KK Venugopal had contributed Rs 1 crore to the fund. Venugopal's son and senior advocate Krishnan Venugopal also contributed Rs 15 lakh to the relief fund.
Former Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi has announced a contribution of Rs 50 lakh to the flood-ravaged state.
A group of Delhi-based Malayali lawyers had initiated a collection drive and dispatched eight truck-load full of necessary supplies, including clothes, sanitary napkins, candles, baby food, water bottles and medicines in a Navy aircraft.
Justice Kurian Joseph has remained active in ensuring and arranging relief materials. He had taken part in a drive in support of lawyers collecting supplies at a collection point near the apex court.
He had also contributed a significant amount for flood relief activities for Kerala. Senior lawyer Jaideep Singh contributed Rs five lakh towards the distress relief fund.
Another senior advocate Chander Uday Singh has reportedly contributed Rs five lakh. On August 16, the Supreme Court Bar Association has donated Rs 30 lakh from its Calamity Relief Fund.
The deadliest deluge in Kerala in nearly a century has claimed more than 300 lives since August 8. According to the Home Ministry's National Emergency Response Centre, 443 people have died in Kerala and 54.11 lakh have been severely affected in 14 districts this monsoon season.
Kerala has been receiving financial aid from various state governments across the country.
courtesy : timesofindia.indiatimes.com
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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.
