COVID-19 vaccine should be kept affordable, free of cost for economically vulnerable: Deve Gowda
Bengaluru, Dec 4: Former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda on Friday suggested that the cost of the COVID-19 vaccine be kept affordable and that the government even consider offering it free of cost for the economically vulnerable sections.
The JD(S) supremo made this suggestion at an all-party meeting with leaders of various political outfits and top union ministers, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, to discuss the COVID-19 pandemic situation in the country, his office said in a statement.
Stating that the period between now and the administering of vaccines should be treated with great care to ensure that the number of COVID-19 cases do not spiral out of control and further pressurise the healthcare system, he said hopes of a vaccine cannot be the basis to throw caution to the wind.
The transport and storage of vaccines would pose a major challenge, he said, adding that it would be best for the government to announce a high-level team to coordinate the vaccination efforts.
"This team should directly report to the PMO, and also engage in creating a network of medical and paramedical volunteers at the panchayat level, our basic governance unit," he added.
Gowda is a member of the Rajya Sabha representing Karnataka.
Noting that long-term storage of vaccines is possible only through cold storage facilities, Gowda said the Prime Minister should pass on this challenge to the IITs.
"They should tell us how to convert any room into a cold storage facility with an inexpensive assembly unit," he said.
Floor leaders from all parties in the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha were invited to attend the virtual meeting.
This was the second all-party meeting called by the government to discuss the COVID-19 situation since the outbreak of the coronavirus.
According to the former PM's office, Gowda also sought to know whether the Centre would bear the cost of the vaccination programme or state governments would have to share the cost.
Questioning whether India was going to buy vaccines from other countries since it may not have the capacity to meet the large requirements, he asked "should we allow Phase 3 vaccine trials more time to assess its efficacy and safety? How many people are we going to vaccinate in the first round?"
Modi had recently visited pharmaceutical companies in Ahmedabad, Hyderabad and Pune to review coronavirus vaccine development work there.
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Another North Goa nightclub sealed; Kejriwal says corruption led to fire tragedy
Panaji (PTI): As part of a crackdown against tourist establishments violating laws and safety norms in the aftermath of the Arpora fire tragedy, Goa authorities on Saturday sealed a renowned club at Vagator and revoked the fire department NOC of another club.
Cafe CO2 Goa, located on a cliff overlooking the Arabian Sea at Vagator beach in North Goa, was sealed. The move came two days after Goya Club, also in Vagator, was shut down for alleged violations of rules.
Elsewhere, campaigning for local body polls, AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal said the fire incident at Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub at Arpora, which claimed 25 lives on December 6, happened because the BJP government in the state was corrupt.
An inspection of Cafe CO2 Goa by a state government-appointed team revealed that the establishment, with a seating capacity of 250, did not possess a no-objection certificate (NOC) of the Fire and Emergency Services Department. The club, which sits atop Ozrant Cliff, also did not have structural stability, the team found.
The Fire and Emergency Services on Saturday also revoked the NOC issued to Diaz Pool Club and Bar at Anjuna as the fire extinguishers installed in the establishment were found to be inadequate, said divisional fire officer Shripad Gawas.
A notice was issued to Nitin Wadhwa, the partner of the club, he said in the order.
Campaigning at Chimbel village near Panaji in support of his party's Zilla Panchayat election candidate, Aam Aadmi Party leader Kejriwal said the nightclub fire at Arpora happened because of the "corruption of the Pramod Sawant-led state government."
"Why this fire incident happened? I read in the newspapers that the nightclub had no occupancy certificate, no building licence, no excise licence, no construction licence or trade licence. The entire club was illegal but still it was going on," he said.
"How could it go on? Couldn't Pramod Sawant or anyone else see it? I was told that hafta (bribe) was being paid," the former Delhi chief minister said.
A person can not work without bribing officials in the coastal state, Kejriwal said, alleging that officers, MLAs and even ministers are accepting bribes.
