We stand by Muslim women in quest for social justice: Modi
New Delhi, Aug 26: Ruing that the triple talaq bill could not be passed by Parliament in the last monsoon session, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said the "whole country" stands by the Muslim women to ensure them social justice.
"Economic growth will be incomplete without social transformation. The triple talaq bill has been passed by the Lok Sabha although it could not be passed in the Rajya Sabha. I assure the Muslim women that the whole country stands by them to provide them social justice," Modi said in his monthly radio address 'Mann Ki Baat'.
Riding on its overwhelming majority, the government succeeded in getting the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill passed in the Lok Sabha on December 28, 2017 - the day it was introduced in the lower House of Parliament - despite opposition's reservation on some of its provisions.
However, in the Rajya Sabha, where the BJP is not in majority, the opposition demanded the bill be sent to a Select Committee of the House comprising members from all parties for a closer scrutiny. The government has not agreed to this demand.
The bill proposes a three-year jail term for men who divorce their wives through instant triple talaq. The Supreme Court has already declared triple talaq invalid.
Dwelling on justice for women, Modi also mentioned how his government had ensured stricter punishment for rapists.
"No civil society can tolerate any kind of injustice towards its women. The nation will not tolerate those committing rapes. With this point in view, Parliament has made a provision of strictest punishment by passing the Criminal Act Amendment Bill. Those guilty of rape will get a minimum sentence of 10 years and those found guilty of raping girls below the age of 12 years will be awarded the death sentence," Modi said.
The Prime Minister cited the recent example from Mandsaur in Madhya Pradesh where a court, after a brief hearing of two months, pronounced death sentence on two criminals found guilty of raping a minor girl.
Earlier, a court in Katni in Madhya Pradesh awarded the death sentence to the guilty after a hearing of just five days.
"This Act will play an effective role in curbing crimes against women and girls," he said.
Modi also expressed his "heartfelt gratitude" to all the MPs for the smooth conduct of the monsoon session of Parliament.
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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.
