Karnataka HC issues direction to govt on audio announcements in private buses
Bengaluru, Nov 9: The High Court of Karnataka on Thursday said the Government on its own should direct private bus operators to install audio announcement systems to help visually-challenged passengers.
Asking the government to issue a circular in this regard, the division bench of Chief Justice Prasanna B Varale and Justice Krishna S Dixit said, "Needless to state, such circulars would be additional circulars for fixing such facilities for those operators who have already received permission for plying buses and it would be pre-condition to those operator seeking fresh permission from State Government for plying buses."
The HC also gave four weeks to the Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) and the State government to file affidavits on the action taken by them in regards to implementing the system in the corporation's buses.
The HC also directed the petitioner to submit a representation to the authorities on suggestions to make the mobile commuter app disabled-friendly.
Shreyas N, a visually challenged person, had filed the PIL seeking a direction to the government to install audio alert system in public transport corporation buses similar to the ones found on the Namma Metro.
Such a system was introduced on a trial basis in some BMTC buses a few years ago and then discontinued.
Earlier, the HC had directed the state government to come up with its suggestions on the issue and become a role model to other states.
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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.
