TN anti-corruption bureau starts probe against CM Palaniswami
Chennai, Aug 24 : Tamil Nadu's anti-corruption bureau on Friday told the Madras High Court that a preliminary inquiry against Chief Minister K. Palaniswami has started.
The DMK had on Thursday filed a petition in the high court alleging corruption in road construction projects and sought a direction to the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC) to register a case against the Chief Minister.
When the matter came up for hearing, the government counsel told the court, the DVAC started a preliminary probe into the complaint on June 22 this year.
The petition, filed by DMK leader R.S. Bharathi, alleged Palaniswami misused his official position in allocation of various road construction projects to companies owned by his relatives and others.
Bharathi said a complaint was made to the DVAC against Palaniswami on June 13, but no case was registered nor was an inquiry held into the allegations contained in the complaint.
The court directed the government to submit a report on the action taken by the DVAC in the next hearing on September 3, 2018.
Last month, the Madras High Court had also ordered the DVAC to complete its probe against Deputy Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam for allegedly having assets disproportionate to his known sources of income.
Bharathi had filed a case in the high court after making a complaint with the DVAC, alleging that Panneerselvam has amassed wealth disproportionate to his known sources of income.
Meanwhile, DMK Working President M.K. Stalin in a statement said it is shocking to note that corruption complaints filed against Chief Minister, Deputy Chief Minister and Ministers to DVAC move at a the speed of a tortoise.
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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.
