BJP demands Karnataka CM Kumaraswamy's resignation
Bengaluru, Mar 29: The BJP Friday demanded that Karnataka Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy immediately step down as he "disclosed to the people beforehand" about the income tax raids in the state.
The saffron party alleged that the conduct of the chief minister went against the oath of secrecy he had taken while assuming the office.
"You have no authority to continue (as the chief minister). You must resign. How can you put obstacles on a secret operation by the income tax department, Central Bureau of Investigation and Enforcement Directorate? Your conduct is against the Constitution and the federal system of the country," BJP spokesperson Go Madhusudan told a press conference.
He was reacting to the ruling Congress-JDS alliance's allegations that the I-T raids were carried out on JD(S) leaders overseeing the elections of Kumaraswamy's son, Nikhil, in Mandya and nephew Prajwal Revanna in Hassan.
The crackdown came within a day after Kumaraswamy claimed Wednesday night that the I-T raids had been planned from 5 am on Thursday.
Madhusudan said, "You (Kumaraswamy) have taken the oath of secrecy too. When you had information about the raids, how can you leak it? By holding a press conference, you belled the cat so that rats can escape."
He also sought to know when did "corrupt contractors" become JD(S) relatives when the I-T department made it clear in its statement to the media Thursday that a few bureaucrats, contractors and builders were among those raided.
"Give us account of the money you have stashed with the contractors. That is the taxpayers' money," Madhusudan added.
"The searches were carried out on a wide range of professions and businesses including bureaucrats, breweries, MNCs, mining barons, diagnostic centres, trusts, educational institutions, medical colleges, real estate, fisheries, and film industry and including "politically exposed persons," the I-T department had said.
Income Tax sleuths Thursday carried out pre-dawn raids at 15 to 20 locations including Bengaluru, Mandya, Mysuru, Hassan, Ramanagar and Shivamogga.
Congress and JD(S) leaders led by Kumaraswamy, Deputy Chief Minister G Parameshwara, former chief minister Siddaramaiah and other top functionaries had staged a demonstration near the I-T office against the raids.
Kumaraswamy even called the raids "political vendetta by the Centre" and accused the income tax officials of working like "BJP's agent".
Meanwhile, searches continued in some parts of the state, sources in the I-T department said.
They, however, refused to divulge details.
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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.
