Zoom News : Jun 08, 2021, 02:04 PM
New Delhi: Congress leader P Chidambaram on Monday issued a clarification on his claim that no state had asked the Centre that it should be allowed to procure vaccines directly from manufacturers.“The underlying message is that government has learned from their mistakes. They made two cardinal mistakes and made effort to correct those mistakes. But as usual bluff and bluster, PM Modi blames the Opposition for the mistakes he committed, the Congress leader said on Monday after Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced changes in the liberalised vaccination policy.“Nobody, but nobody said that the Centre shouldn't procure vaccines. He (PM Modi) now blames state governments saying - they wanted to procure vaccines so we allowed them. Let us know which Chief Minister, which state government, on what date demanded that he should be allowed to procure vaccines,” he added.Taking to Twitter on Tuesday, the senior Congress leader said that he came to know that West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had requested the Prime Minister to allow her state to directly procure vaccines."I told ANI ‘please tell us which state govt demanded that it should be allowed to directly procure vaccines’. Social media activists have posted copy of letter of CM West Bengal to PM making such a request. I was wrong. I stand corrected," Chidambaram clarified.In a major announcement, the Prime Minister on Monday announced that from June 21 onwards the Centre will provide free vaccine to all Indian citizens above 18 years of age.PM Modi informed that the Centre will buy 75 per cent of the total production of the vaccine producers and provide to the states free of cost. He also said that the system of 25 per cent vaccines being procured directly by the private hospitals will continue. The Centre's announcement came days after the Supreme Court said that the policy of vaccinating those above the age of 45 years for free and paid doses for the 18-44 age group, is "prima facie arbitrary and irrational".