Unaccounted cash worth Rs 70 cr seized in poll-bound Telangana
Hyderabad, Nov 15: Unaccounted cash worth Rs 70 crore was seized in separate searches carried out in poll-bound Telangana on different occasions, since the Model Code of Conduct came into force, a poll official said Thursday.
Besides, illegal liquor worth Rs 6.70 crore was seized by by the police and income tax sleuths, Telangana Chief Electoral Officer Rajat Kumar told reporters here.
To a query, he said it came to the Election Commission's notice that certain political leaders were attempting to influence the electorate in the name of caste and religion and attending caste and religion-based meetings.
"It is not permitted to make promises to particular caste or religion in the context of elections," he noted.
To another question, he said he did not receive any direction from the EC to conduct inquiry against the Collector of Sangareddy District, Hanumantha Rao, to ascertain whether the official was holding the same position for over three years, which is violation of Model Code of Conduct.
Some political parties have made a representation to the EC seeking his removal as District Electoral Officer alleging that he was continuing in the post since 2014, contrary to the rule.
Meanwhile, an official release from the Chief Electoral Officer's office said as many as 540 nominations put together have been filed till Thursday by political parties in the state for the December 7 Assembly polls.
Candidates on behalf of Congress filed 77, while the TRS filed 98, the BJP 65 and aspirants from Telugu Desam Party filed 14 nominations.
Seeking reelection, Caretaker Chief Minister and TRS chief K Chandrasekhar Rao and several of his colleagues filed papers from their respective constituencies on Wednesday.
Rao is in the poll fray from Gajwel constituency.
The process of filing nominations began on November 12 and the last date is November 19.
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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.
