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Telangana Governor, Dr Tamilisai Soundararajan, on Friday directed the Indian Red Cross Society (IRCS), Telangana branch, to intensify its effort to reach out to more number of people during the ongoing Covid-19 crisis and ensure vaccination of all eligible tribal people.

She stated that as the second wave of Covid-19 was affecting more number of people, it was time that the IRCS increased its number of active volunteers and took up a wide variety of service activities.

The Governor, who is also the President of the IRCS TS unit, reviewed the functioning of all the 33 district units of the Red Cross units through video conferencing from Puducherry, where she is holding additional charge as Lt Governor.

"The district units need to come up with innovative initiatives to reach out to the needy. It is a bounden duty of the IRCS units to help, motivate and facilitate the vaccination of tribal and other vulnerable people in their respective areas," she added.

She has also announced a financial assistance of Rs 1 lakh each to the IRCS urban units of Hyderabad, Rangareddy, Medchal-Malkajgiri and Warangal (Urban) districts and has also sanctioned Rs 50,000 each to all the remaining IRCS district units in the state.

"The amount needs to be used to facilitate the transportation of tribal people and other underprivileged sections for the vaccination centres. Ensuring the vaccination of all the eligible tribal people and slum-dwellers in the state should be a top priority," the Governor added.

Soundararajan also called for the increase in the enrollment of active number of volunteers and advised that at least 1,000 to 1,500 active volunteers must be there in each district to carry out the service activities during this pandemic period.

The Governor directed the IRCS units to submit district-wise reports detailing on the number of masks distributed, number of people motivated and facilitated to get vaccinated, number of blood donation camps organised, number of volunteers enrolled and other activities initiated.

She said that it was time that all the volunteers are on the field doing service activities supplementing the efforts of the government agencies at this hour of crisis.

"Motivating peoples to strictly follow the Covid-appropriate behaviour and motivating the people to get vaccinated are vital in containing the pandemic outbreak from further escalation," the Governor said.