Maharashtra will import vaccines from other countries and funds will be diverted from all the departments to carry out an extensive inoculation drive on the lines of the UK, the state government said on Tuesday. The state is worst-affected by the coronavirus pandemic in the country with more than 50,000 cases being reported daily in the last two weeks.

Welcoming the Union government's decision to vaccinate the entire adult population of the country, Maharashtra health minister Rajesh Tope said the state cabinet on Tuesday decided to carry out an "exemplary vaccination drive". "If required, we will cut the funds of all the other departments to ensure availability of vaccines for people," he said after a cabinet meeting. Tope had earlier said the state wanted to vaccinate seven lakh persons every day but restrictions imposed by the Centre and supply constraints made it possible to inoculate only about three lakh.