Will hire best lawyers to fight in SC for restoration of Articles 370, 35A: Bukhari
Srinagar (PTI): Jammu and Kashmir Apni Party chief Altaf Bukhari on Saturday said the party will hire the country's best lawyers to fight in the Supreme Court for the restoration of Articles 370 and 35A.
Addressing a public meeting at Sher-e-Kashmir cricket stadium here, Bukhari also demanded that Jammu and Kashmir's statehood be restored.
On August 5, 2019, the Centre revoked the special status granted to the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir under Article 370 of the Constitution and divided it into two union territories -- Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh.
It also abrogated Article 35A which allowed the state to define its permanent residents.
"We cannot restore Articles 370 and 35A on our own. The issue is in the Supreme Court and I promise you we will hire the best lawyers of the country to fight for their restoration even if we have to spend crores of rupees," Bukhari told the gathering.
"Our state, as it existed on August 5, 2019 (before the Centre's decision), should be restored. This is what the people want. They want me to take this up with the prime minister and the home minister," he said.
Bukhari further said the JKAP will constitute a team that will visit various jails in Jammu and Kashmir and outside to collect details about youths languishing there and the cases against them.
Then, he said, the JKAP will meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah and seek the release of these youths.
"We want an opportunity for them to start their lives afresh," he said.
Bukhari appealed to the people to support him to start a "new politics" which has no place for violence and discrimination.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
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.
