CM post not vacant, no doubt that I will continue in the position, asserts Siddaramaiah
Bengaluru(PTI): Making it clear that the Chief Minister post in the state is not vacant for anyone to weigh in to occupy it now, Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah on Wednesday asserted that there are no doubts in this regard and he will continue in the position.
As Siddaramaiah's petition challenging the Governor's sanction for his prosecution in a site allotment case is being heard in the High Court, some Congress leaders seem to be preparing for a race to become CM in the event of leadership change, with several of them openly expressing their desire.
"No one has given any statement. No one has said that they will become the Chief Minister. The seat (of CM) is not vacant, then why will anyone say that they will become CM? What everyone is saying is Siddaramaiah will continue," Siddaramaiah told reporters in response to a question .
When pointed out that some leaders have said that they will become CM if Siddaramaiah "instructs," he said, "...when the post is not vacant, why will anyone give such instruction?"
Asked whether some Congress leaders have doubts about CM post falling vacant, Siddaramaiah said: "there is no doubt. I will continue."
A group of Congress leaders on Tuesday wrote to Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi requesting him to warn party leaders including senior Ministers, who are weighing in for the Chief Minister's post, in the event of leadership change.
The signatories of the letter, including current and former lawmakers and some ex-Ministers, have also asked him to direct them not to issue damaging statements in future.
State Congress working president Manjunath Bhandary and MLC Dinesh Gooligowda on Monday wrote to AICC President Mallikarjun Kharge, asking him to curb speculation over the Chief Minister’s tenure.
While Deputy CM and state Congress chief D K Shivakumar is seen as a prime contender for the post in case of any change in leadership, names of Home Minister G Parameshwara and PWD Minister Satish Jarkiholi too are doing rounds, especially following their recent meeting with party leadership in New Delhi.
A verbal duel of sorts had erupted between two senior Ministers -- M B Patil and Shivanand Patil -- about seniority as the yardstick to become the Chief Minister.
Senior Congress MLAs -- Administrative Reforms Commission Chairperson R V Deshpande and Basavaraj Rayareddy, who is Siddaramaiah's financial adviser -- too have expressed their wish to become the Chief Minister.
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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.
