With the country’s corona graph rising to helpless levels Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday shot off a second letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi in which she faulted him for “evading” “responsibility.”
Days after writing to the Prime Minister to make arrangements for 5 crore vaccines and life-saving drugs like remedesivir Banerjee on Monday tore into the central Government’s “belated” decision to universalize the distribution of vaccines even as she wrote, “I'm 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...at the time of crisis.”
Complaining that the Centre has failed to address issues like quality and stable flow of drugs in the market Banerjee wrote, “the announcement does not address major issues like the quality, efficacy, stable flow of supply...” reminding that the policy “appears to be based on market prices which may put the common people under huge financial burden.”
The Government’s policy could encourage “unscrupulous” dealings and “mechanisms” she warned reminding the Prime Minister that he had yet to responded to her earlier letter written on April 24 seeking permission (for her Government Bengal) to purchase vaccines directly from the market.
Later she told in rallies that “I am sitting with money ready. I am willing to buy the vaccine from the market and distribute it free among the people but here is a Government that will not allow me to do so.”
With the medical system buckling under huge pressure of demand in the backdrop of rising cases, the Centre had earlier okayed vaccinations for all adults from May 1 and also lifted the bar on the State Governments to procure stocks from the manufacturers and the open market.
Considering the fact that the young people going out for earning livelihoods were more likely to contact and transmit the disease faster a number of States like Maharashtra, Bengal Andhra Pradesh etc had complained about shortage of vaccines and demanded opening up the vaccination drive for people of all ages.
In the strongly-worded letter, the Chief Minister also wrote that the Centre through its new policy had preferred not only to shirk its responsibility but indulge in empty rhetoric. She wrote “when the number of cases...is spiraling...the Centre has chosen to tactically indulge in empty rhetoric...”
Later launching a vitriolic attack on the Prime Minister from an election rally at Murshidabad she said that her Government could have vaccinated many people by this time but the Centre’s faulty policy failed her initiative.
Attacking the Prime Minister she said Modi had exported vaccines to other countries to earn praises from the international community whereas States like Maharashtra, Delhi, Rajasthan, and Bengal were struggling to get vaccines for their citizens.
“You all know how the pandemic is rising … the workers are coming back … now we needed to vaccinate them and the other residents … but even if I have the intention to provide vaccine to the people free the Centre acted as a stumbling block … Here was a Prime Minister who was busy building his image internationally by exporting vaccine doses … how can we feed others remaining hungry ourselves … and now they are saying that they are opening up vaccination for the States also but where is the stock … they have already been exported out of India,” she said.