4 Cong-ruled states express inability to vaccinate for 18-45 group: 'Centre hijacked stocks'

Fours states ruled by the Congress and its allies Sunday accused the Centre of hijacking vaccine stocks from manufacturers and expressed doubts they would be able to launch the inoculation drive to cover those between 1845 years of age from May 1They also accused the Centre of meting out stepmotherly treatment to them and urged the Union government to provide them free vaccine doses to vaccinate all adultsAddressing a virtual joint press conference the health ministers of Chhattisgarh Rajasthan Punjab and Jharkhand ruled by CongressJMM alliance asked as to how they will vaccinate all adults when the Centre has already taken away the stocks and shots are not available to themThey said they are prepared for the next phase of vaccination drive from May 1 but the manufacturers have expressed inability to provide them vaccine shotsHow do we vaccinate adults of 1845 years as Serum Institute has said they will not be able to provide vaccine till May 15 Rajasthan Health Minister Raghu Sharma saidWe have the capacity but not the vaccinehe said States should get the supplies The Government of India should provide vaccine as per their requirements The success of the drive depends on availability of shots he saidSharma said Our demand is that the Centre fully funds the vaccine How can we fund it from our budget No provision has been made by us in the budgetChhattisgarh Health Minister T S Singh Deo said There is no way shots can be administered if the vaccine is not available How will we provide vaccination We are ready to vaccinate provided we have the vaccinesHe also alleged politics is being played on vaccination the way prime ministers photo is put on the certificate of vaccinationThe country is being misguided The Centre has made a joke of this he saidPunjab Health Minister Balbir Singh Sidhu said We are being meted out stepmotherly treatment The Centre should provide the vaccine and essential lifesaving medicinesIf the Centre does not support us how can we roll out the vaccination drive We are only handtomouth on vaccines The Centre should allot the vaccine and provide it to us Sidhu saidJharkhand Health Minister Banna Gupta alleged the prime minister is trying to derive political advantage even during this raging pandemicStepmotherly treatment is being meted out to Congressruled states like us The prime minister is politicising everything and we have to fight a dual battle of saving people from coronavirus and fighting politics he saidThe Centre has hijacked their production capacity manufacturers and struck a deal for Rs 150 per dose The government that talks of one constitution one tax is now trying to derive benefits out of pandemic by different pricing of vaccines he saidHow will we launch the next phase of vaccination drive when vaccine makers do not have vaccines and how will they provide us supplies People will ask us to vaccinate we have set up vaccination centres he said adding the Centre should allow them to purchase Remdesivir from Bangladesh which is not being allowedOn one side we are being bound on the other hand an impression is being created that there is decentralisation of power to states he allegedThe Centre last Monday announced its liberalised vaccination policy making all adults eligible for Covid19 vaccine from May 1 and has asked states to procure vaccines from makers of their ownThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever