Congress slams new vaccination policy as 'regressive, inequitable; demands one nation, one price
New Delhi, Apr 20: A day after the government tweaked its COVID-19 vaccination policy to widen the coverage, the Congress Tuesday alleged the changes will worsen the inequality between states as well as between poor and rich Indians, and demanded uniform pricing for the jabs at all health facilities.
Questioning the pricing modalities under the new policy, which allows manufacturers to fix the prices of their shots, the Congress said the plan was "regressive, inequitable and anti-competitive".
The party also said the new policy would put additional burden on states which are already cash-strapped.
The Centre announced Monday that all above 18 years of age will be eligible for COVID-19 vaccination from May 1, while private hospitals and states will be able to buy doses from manufacturers.
It also said the vaccine manufacturers would be free to supply 50 percent doses to state governments and in the open market for which they will have to make an advance declaration of the price before May 1.
"This is a government that believes in one nation one tax', one nation one election', but this is a government that does not believe in ''ne nation, one price'," Congress leader Jairam Ramesh told an online press conference.
He said the new policy will lead to multiple pricing for COVID-19 shots at central and state government hospitals, and private facilities.
"Why can't we have 'one nation, one price' for vaccines. I think this is a legitimate demand," he said, advocating the Centre, state governments and private hospitals get the shots at the same price.
Ramesh alleged the Central government will get 50 per cent of the vaccines and the rest 50 per cent will be divided among private hospitals and state governments.
"This is very unfair. This is inequitable. We want states to get greater responsibility. But, this is actually not giving the states any responsibility. So 'one nation, one price'. We cannot have 'one nation, multiple prices'," he told reporters.
Chidambaram claimed the Union government has finally acknowledged the problem of vaccine shortage and other deficiencies in the current policy.
"While we welcome the positive changes made to the policy...the modified vaccine policy is, in crucial respects, regressive and inequitable," he said.
"Under the modified vaccine policy, the Union government is running away from taking responsibility, overburdens the states, encourages vaccine manufacturers to profiteer, and will worsen the inequality between states as well between poor and rich Indians," he also said.
Nowhere in the world has any government left its vaccination programme to be determined by the vagaries of market forces, the senior Congress leader noted.
Chidambaram said under the modified vaccine policy, states will bear the responsibility and cost of vaccinating the poorer sections who are below the age of 45 years and are neither healthcare workers nor frontline workers, as defined by the central government.
The former union minister alleged that the Union government appears to have abdicated its responsibility towards the poor by excluding them from the Centre's vaccination programme.
"In a country where the median age is 28 years, to leave those who are below the age of 45 years out of a public-funded programme is, to say the least, callous," he noted, adding that migrant workers who are lifeblood of the economy will be the worst affected by this directive.
Chidambaram also alleged that by liberalising the pricing of vaccine, and by not fixing a price for states at the same rate as it is available to the Union government, the government is paving the way to unhealthy price bidding and profiteering.
"States with limited resources will be at a considerable disadvantage. States that are already weighed down by shrinking GST revenues, lower tax devolution, reduced grants-in-aid and increased borrowing would have to bear this additional burden," he said, questioning where the funds collected under PM-Cares have been spent.
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Bengaluru goes to poll amid heat wave-like situation
Bengaluru (PTI): Voters across four constituencies in Bengaluru, which were among the 14 Lok Sabha seats that went to polls in Karnataka, came out to vote in heat wave-like conditions on Friday.
Bengaluru North, Bengaluru Central, Bengaluru Rural and Bengaluru South are among the 14 constituencies in the state that voted in the first phase today.
“Although Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has not included Bengaluru in the list of heat wave affected areas, the city does satisfy one of the heat wave conditions – the departure from normal temperatures by at least 4.5 degrees,” said A Prasad, a scientist at IMD Bengaluru.
Bengaluru is categorised under Aw (tropical savanna, winter-dry) by the Koeppen-Geiger classification with average temperature pegged at 22 degrees Celsius. And according to Climate-data.org, the mercury in the city’s warmest month April usually never rises above 32.8 degrees Celsius.
“This April, Bengaluru’s highest temperature has surpassed the normal average almost every day,” said C S Patil, director of IMD Bengaluru.
As per IMD data, Bengaluru’s maximum temperature on the voting day will range between 36.4 and 38.4 degree Celsius.
Given that, IMD scientists said it is best that voters take precautions when they venture out.
“It is best to avoid direct exposure to sunlight between 12 noon and 3pm, when the intensity of the heat will be at its peak. Also, keep drinking water even if you are not thirsty and use an umbrella and sunglasses whenever venturing out. If one feels hot, a damp cloth to the neck will cool down the person to an extent,” said M Rajavel, a scientist at IMD.
Meanwhile, four of the districts that were issued an orange alert by the IMD – Tumkur, Mysuru, Mandya, Chitradurga, Chikkaballapura and Kolar – are also polling on April 26.
Chief Electoral Officer of Karnataka, Manoj Kumar Meena, while briefing about poll preparations had told reporters that the election commission is keeping in mind that many districts would be facing a heat wave on the polling day.
“We are prepared for heat-related medical issues like sunstroke and dehydration. All polling booths will have medical officers and ambulances too. Besides that, each booth will be equipped with a special medical kit,” Meena told reporters.
The unprecedented heat, which the IMD scientists attribute to El Nino effect apart from global warming, had also resulted in a subdued campaigning this election season, especially in the early phases.
“It was so hot that we had to avoid campaigning in the afternoons. We did it in the mornings, and then post 3pm. So yes, our campaigning did suffer because of the heat,” said M B Patil, Congress leader and state minister for large and medium industries and infrastructure development, to PTI.
