New Delhi: As part of the world’s biggest vaccination drive, Centre has been supporting the States and Union Territories (UTs) by providing them Covid-19 vaccines free of cost. Centre has also been facilitated direct procurement of vaccines by states & UTs.
However, there has been wide uproar over shortage of Covid-19 vaccines, with Opposition parties going overboard in targeting the Modi govt for the ‘fiasco’. Union Health Minister has time and again come forward to address the issue and highlighted how the sluggishness of some states and huge wastage has dented the vaccine drive.
9 states exposed, how they faltered in vaccine drive
Vaccination a billion plus population is a humongous task and vaccines are required in plenty, there are no two words about it. But, what’s available on the table must be utilized to full extent.
Here are 9 states which didn’t fail in any opportunity in training guns at Modi government but failed in harnessing their own vaccine stock alloted to them by Centre, free of cost.
As per government figures, there are still 1.65 crore vaccine jabs available with these states & UTs. And, they include Punjab, Chhattisgarh, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Maharashtra and Delhi. Out of them, 3 are Congress ruled states.
These states have enough vaccine doses left with them, yet rather than focusing on escalating vaccine drive, they have gone on stepping on the offensive.
Vaccine Statistics show ‘criminal’ laxity of 9 states
One reason cited behind high infection rates in these states is their complacency in administering doses to people.
In 1st three months January, February & March, Rajasthan was given 1.06 doses but it could utilize only 0.57 crore.
Note how all 10 states faltering on vaccination are non BJP states meaning mostly @RahulGandhi party states – this is exactly how forces opposed to @narendramodi are trying everything to defeat him! https://t.co/zw3lhPVjvI pic.twitter.com/6lhiXjjhCK
— Alok Bhatt (@alok_bhatt) June 7, 2021
Punjab was given 0.29 crore jabs but it administered only 8.4 lakh doses. Chhattisgarh govt 0.43 jabs, it could manage only 0.19 crore, Telangana got 0.41 crore, it could utilize only 0.13 crore. Andhra Pradesh got 0.66 crore vaccines but it could utilize onlyl 0.26 crore while Jhkarhand could utilize only 0.16 crore out of allotted 0.31 crore.
Delhi, Maharashtra & Kerala among worst performers
Out of 9 states, Kerala, Maharashtra and Delhi remain the worst performing states in administering vaccines to people. In the first quarter of 2021, Kerala was received 0.63 crore vaccines but it could inoculate only 0.34 crore people. Maharasthra received 1.43 crore jabs but it could inoculate only 0.62 crore.
Kejriwal government in Delhi has been cornering Centre over shortage of vaccines but it couldn’t exhaust the given stock. It was given 0.44 crore jabs but it could utilize only 0.24 in first three months.
