Sanitation drive starts tomorrow in Alappuzha

ALAPPUZHA: Ministers and legislators will lead a sanitation programme in the district on Saturday in association with local bodies and other organisations given increasing incidence of fever and other monsoon-related contagious diseases. Finance minister Dr T. M. Thomas Isaac told a meeting at the collectorate on Thursday that each civic authority can appoint a temporary doctor and a paramedic at the primary health centres and two each in community health centres to combat epidemics.

They also have the power to make clinics functional from dawn to dusk and their remuneration could be paid from their plan funds, which will be reimbursed by the government. "Local governments should take steps to make it on a war footing," he said.    District collector Veena N. Madhavan urged the police and local bodies to take part in sanitation programmes on June 24, 27, 28 and 29. They have been asked to take steps to ensure widespread support to the drive and to depute special squads to prevent the indiscriminate dumping of waste in public places.