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New Chandigarh adviser calls for stepping up vaccination drive
On first day in office, adviser Dharam Pal directs Chandigarh health department to keep vaccination centres open on weekends and holidays; also reviews preparations for possible third wave
Chandigarh adviser Dharam Pal on his first day in office on Wednesday took stock of Covid management in the city and emphasised on the need for preventive measures and maximising vaccine coverage.
The administration will intensify the vaccination drive to cover the entire eligible population, so that the city is prepared before the third Covid wave, said Pal.
“I have directed the health department to keep vaccination centres open on weekends and holidays too. So, people who can’t come on working days, can also get inoculated,” said Pal. On preparations for the third wave, Pal reviewed the status of oxygen supply and availability of beds, among other aspects.
Earlier in the day, he was given a guard of honour. He also met UT administrator VP Singh Badnore and outgoing adviser Manoj Parida.
Later, he had an introductory meeting with IAS and IFS officers. They were given 10 minutes each to brief him on issues related to their departments. “I was informed about the different issues concerning Chandigarh. I will be examining issues related to different departments in further details in the coming days,” said Dharam Pal. Thereafter, he held a meeting on Covid-19 management in the city, wherein different aspects of the pandemic situation were discussed.
Dharam Pal, a 1988-batch Indian Administrative Services officer belonging to the Arunachal Pradesh-Goa-Mizoram-Union Territory (AGMUT) cadre was appointed UT adviser on Monday. He replaced Parida, who was transferred to Delhi on June 17.
