T M Krishna to perform at AAP govt's event in Delhi on Nov 17
New Delhi, Nov 16 : Carnatic music vocalist TM Krishna, whose concert in the city was scrapped by the Airports Authority of India (AAI), will perform at the Garden of Five Senses on Saturday evening on an invitation of the AAP government, an official said.
Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia announced Delhi government's invitation to Krishna, saying no artist should be denied an opportunity to perform.
After Krishna's November 17 concert to be held at Nehru Park was cancelled by AAI, the AAP government had on Thursday stepped in to organise another performance by Krishna, who often finds himself in the cross-hairs of controversy over his outspoken views.
Krishna will perform at the event -- 'Awam ki Awaz' -- hosted by the Delhi government at the Garden of Five Senses at 6.30 pm on Saturday, said a senior government official.
Sisodia said on Twitter, "No artist should ever be denied an opportunity to perform. I have invited @tmkrishna to perform on November 17 for the people of Delhi It's important to maintain the dignity of the Art and Artists".
Krishna's concert organised by the AAI was allegedly cancelled following a troll campaign against it for hosting the vocalist, a Magsaysay award winner who has been called an "urban Naxal" and "a converted bigot" among other epithets.
The AAI and cultural organisation Spic Macay, which were organising Krishna's concert jointly, said the event was not cancelled but "postponed".
The AAI was the major sponsor, said Rashmi Mallik from Spic Macay. They were informed by AAI that the event had to be postponed due to "some internal challenges within AAI", she said.
"It has not been cancelled. It has been postponed. We will be working out the new dates and share them," she had said.
Krishna, considered one of the finest proponents of Carnatic music, has often been the subject of hate trolls for his critical views on Hindutva and the establishment.
The artist, who is credited for being one of those taking the 600-year-old Carnatic musical tradition forward, is also an activist who has worked on creating egalitarian spaces for music and breaking down caste barriers.
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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.
