Kolkata, Aug 5 (UNI) West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banejree on Thursday sought
Prime Minister Narendra Modi's intervention in having adequate Covid-19 vaccination,
saying West Bengal needs 11 lakh doses daily but it is only administering 4 lakh doses a
day owing to dearth of supplies from the Centre.
In a letter to the Prime Minister, Ms Banerjee said " At present the state needs around 14
crore doses of Covid-19 vaccines to cover all the people in the eligible categories. We have
received only 2.68 crore does till date from the Government of India."
Pointing out that some of the states, particularly the BJP ruled like UP, Gujarat and
Karnataka were given larger numbers of doses, but Bengal was deprived of having its share
in combating the pandemic.
" I am sorry to say the Central Government is providing a large number of vaccines to Uttar
Pradesh, Gujarat,Karnataka which are BJP-ruled. I have no problem if they or any other state
for that matter receives a higher number of vaccines, but I cannot remain a mute spectator to
see Bengal deprived."
She said Bengal already administered 3.08 crore doses, of which 2.20 crore people have
been administered with the first dose and 88,93 lakh people with second dose.
" West Bengal is the best in the country in utilisation of vaccines with minus 7 percent
wastage," the chief minister said in the letter.
" I am afraid that if we fail to significantly accelerate the pace of vaccination by ensuring
supply of adequate numbers of vaccine doses from the Government of India we would have
to face again a grim situation arising out of the pandemic."
Ms Banejeree said since the Covid cases were increasing in neighbouring states of Sikkim,
Assam and Northeastern states, and Bengal has three international borders and the gateway
of northeastern state, " a special precautionary is essential that West Bengal is provided with
the required 14 crore doses of covid vaccines.
Covid positivity rate in Bengal, which increased from 3 per cent ( March 2021) to 33 per
cent (April-May 2021) due to prolonged eight-phase assembly elections, has now come
down to1.57 percent due to sustained efforts, added the chief minister.
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