Bengal needs around 140 mn Covid vaccine doses: Mamata tells PM Modi

She also alleged that the state is getting a "much lower number of doses" of vaccines despite having a very high population density, and urged him to ramp up the supply of vials.

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Mamata Banerjee | West Bengal

Press Trust of India  |  Kolkata 

Mamata Banerjee
Photo: ANI

Chief Minister on Thursday wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, expressing apprehension that the Covid situation might turn grim if the vaccine supply in the state is not augmented.

She also alleged that the state is getting a "much lower number of doses" of vaccines despite having a very high population density, and urged him to ramp up the supply of vials.

The state would require around 14 crore doses of Covid vaccines to cover all the eligible people, she said.

"Presently, we are administering four lakh doses per day and are capable of administer 11 lakh doses per day. Yet, we are getting much lower number of doses despite having a very high population density and a higher rate of urbanisation," Banerjee wrote in the letter.

She also alleged that several letters sent to the PM on the same matter earlier have "not received due attention" at the Centre.

"I am sorry to say the central government is providing a larger number of vaccine doses to other states. I have no problem if any other state receives higher number of vaccine doses, but I cannot remain a mute spectator to see Bengal deprived," she said.

The CM claimed that the positivity rate of Covid-19 has come down to 1.57 per cent due to the state's sustained efforts.

"So, my earnest appeal to you is to see that Bengal receives adequate vaccine doses as per its requirement," she said in the letter.

Till Wednesday, over 3.09 crore people have been inoculated in Bengal, health department sources said.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

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First Published: Thu, August 05 2021. 16:44 IST
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