Cases against 88 police involved in criminal activities; will be dismissed if proven: Minister
Belagavi (Karnataka) (PTI): Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara on Thursday said criminal cases have been registered against 88 police personnel and officers for their alleged involvement in criminal activities.
He said the accused have been arrested and suspended, and will be dismissed from service if the charges are proved.
He said disciplinary action is being taken against the personnel under the Karnataka State Police (Disciplinary Procedure) (Amendment) Rules.
The minister was replying to a question raised by MLC T A Saravan in the Legislative Council.
"Such cases have existed in the police department earlier as well. The department has 1,099 police stations and about 1.06 lakh personnel, and it is unfair to generalise and blame everyone," Parameshwara said.
Stating that those involved in criminal activities would not be spared, he said, "Criminal cases and FIRs have been registered against 88 personnel. They have been suspended, and in some cases, arrested."
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"Strict action will be taken. Not just suspension—recommendations have recently been made to dismiss personnel in cases where charges are proved. I have instructed officials not to stop at suspension alone," he added.
The minister said that directives have been issued to prevent state police personnel and officials from engaging in criminal activities and to ensure proper performance of their duties.
He said senior officers have been instructed to closely monitor the conduct and performance of police personnel.
Meetings are being held to improve coordination, and higher authorities are providing necessary guidance.
District-level senior officers have been directed to immediately report instances of misconduct, illegal activities, or criminal involvement by police personnel to the police headquarters.
Regular background checks and integrity assessments of subordinate police personnel are being conducted across all units, he said.
He added that awareness is being created through training programmes focusing on ethical standards, legal duties, corruption, and criminal behaviour.
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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.
