Will extend complete support to Congress-NC alliance if it accepts PDP agenda: Mehbooba Mufti
Srinagar, Aug 24: The PDP will extend complete support to the Congress-NC alliance and leave all seats in the Jammu and Kashmir assembly elections to the coalition if it is ready to accept the party's agenda, PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti said on Saturday.
Mehbooba also ruled out an alliance with the BJP, with which the People's Democratic Party (PDP) had earlier run a coalition government.
"Forget about alliance and seat-sharing, if the Congress and the National Conference (NC) are ready to accept our agenda -- that resolution of the Kashmir issue is necessary and on opening of routes -- we will tell them to contest on all the seats and we will follow you," she said.
"Because, for me, the resolution of the Kashmir problem is much more important than anything else," she added when asked if the Congress had approached the PDP for an alliance.
Mehbooba was talking to reporters following the release of the PDP's manifesto for the assembly elections.
NC chief Farooq Abdullah has announced a pre-poll alliance with the Congress for the assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir, which is going to the polls for the first time since the abrogation of Article 370 in August 2019.
Polls to the 90-member assembly will be held in three phases -- September 18, September 25 and October 1. The counting of votes will be held on October 4.
Mehbooba, the PDP president, said the dignity of the people of Jammu and Kashmir, which "was being trampled on", was important for her party.
"Whether you give me three or four seats, it does not mean anything to me. When we entered into an alliance with either the Congress or the BJP, it was on our agenda. The NC and the Congress have not entered into an alliance on any agenda but for seat-sharing and we will not talk of such an alliance, which only talks about seat-sharing," she said.
"Our alliance should be based on an agenda and our agenda is to find the resolution to the Jammu and Kashmir issue… No doubt within the Constitution of this country but a resolution," she added.
Asked if there could be a post-poll alliance between the PDP and the BJP, Mehbooba said, "There is nothing like that. We had joined hands with the BJP government and not the party and we had put a condition that they would not touch Article 370."
The PDP in its manifesto promised to pursue the restoration of Jammu and Kashmir's statehood and advocate for diplomatic initiatives between India and Pakistan.
It also aims to establish full connectivity across the Line of Control for trade and social exchange.
The manifesto also talks about striving for the revocation of the Public Safety Act (PSA) and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) as well as its commitment to revocation of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA).
Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir were last held in November 2014, resulting in the PDP and the BJP forming a coalition government led by Mufti Mohammed Sayeed.
His death in 2016 led to his daughter Mehbooba taking up the mantle of leadership as chief minister of the coalition government.
The BJP pulled out of the government in June 2018 and the state was put under governor's rule.
On August 5, 2019, the BJP-led Centre abrogated the special status of Jammu and Kashmir and reorganised the erstwhile state into two Union territories -- Ladakh, and Jammu and Kashmir.
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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.
