In a bid to increase the stock of COVID-19 vaccinations in West Bengal, the chief minister Mamata Banerjee has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi regarding availability of vaccines in the state.
In her letter to the PM, Miss Banerjee wrote, I am informed that the Central Government has announced the much-delayed universal vaccine policy on 19th April, 2021, which appears to be hollow, without substance and a regrettable show of evasion of responsibility by the Central Government at the time of crisis.
Reminding the PM of her letter dated 24th February 2021, the TMC chief had requested his intervention to allow our State to purchase vaccines directly with state resources and give free vaccination to people of the state although no response was received from PM Modi's end.
She said, the number of cases in the second wave of Covid-19 is spiraling like anything and the Centre has chosen to tactically indulge in empty rhetoric and shy away from its responsibility for making available vaccines to the people of the country.
The announcement does not address major issues like ensuring the quality, efficacy, she said.
She further urged, "I would like to mention once again that required vaccines are not presently available in the market and request that steps may immediately be taken to ensure availability of vaccines at the earliest." "In sum, I would earnestly request you to kindly ensure a fair transparent and credible vaccination policy addressing all the issues outlined above which would enable the people of the country to get vaccines urgenty at affordable prices as per current scale as applicable," she added.
Yesterday, the CM at a rally in Kaliganj attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and asked, Why didn't you (PM) make plans to stop corona in the last 6 months?... You have to answer this.
She asserted, "Prime Minister is responsible for second wave of COVID019. If he would have taken responsibility at right time then this wouldn't have happened."
On the other hand, to boost the vaccination drive, the CM has also sought help from Prime Minister Narendra Modi for additional vaccines and medicines in the wake of spiraling COVID-19 cases in the state. She also said the state government will spell out measures to deal with the second wave of the pandemic later in the day.
West Bengal on Monday logged 8,426 new COVID-19 cases and 38 deaths.
