Karnataka on free distribution of COVID vaccine: Will take a call when it's available
Bengaluru: Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister CN Ashwath Narayan on Friday hinted that the COVID-19 vaccine, once available, might be administered free of cost to citizens, as he pointed to the universal vaccination undertaken by the government in the past.
He, however, also maintained that the government would take a decision on this once the vaccine is available.
"Once the vaccine comes, the government will decide on it. Till now the government has been giving universal vaccination for free, so it will continue. The Chief Minister will decide on it," Narayan said in response to a question about providing COVID vaccine free of cost, as announced by some other states.
Speaking to reporters here, he said during the prevalence of communicable diseases, governments have to come forward for the protection of society and fulfill its needs.
Narayan is also a member of the state government's COVID-19 task force.
On Thursday, the BJP in its manifesto for the Bihar assembly elections promised free COVID-19 vaccines, once it is available, for all.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister K Palaniswami and Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan too have assured free immunization against coronavirus for all sections of people in their states as soon as a vaccine is made available.
However, official sources told PTI in New Delhi that the coronavirus vaccine, once available, would be distributed under a special COVID-19 immunization program with the Centre procuring the doses directly and making it available for priority groups.
According to them, the Centre will procure the vaccine directly to make it available to the priority groups free-of-charge through the existing network of states and districts.
States have been asked not to chart separate pathways of procurement.
The Karnataka health department has been identifying Primary Health Centres, anganwadis, and community health centers to ensure proper distribution of vaccines once available, official sources said.
Health Minister K Sudhakar has said a meeting has been convened here next week to discuss how the vaccine should be administered, once available.
Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan said last week that India is expected to have a COVID-19 vaccine in a few months and the country should be in the process of delivering it to people in the next six months.
Presently COVID-19 vaccines are in various stages of trials.
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Akash Singh says signature celebration fuels motivation, reinforces dominance
Lucknow (PTI): Pacer Akash Singh caught the eye with his unique celebration during Lucknow Super Giants' win over Chennai Super Kings, pulling out a piece of paper from his pocket after a wicket, a gesture he said was aimed at "motivating" himself and "asserting dominance" over batters.
The left-arm pacer pulled out a scrappy piece of paper after each of the three wickets he took in LSG seven-wicket win over CSK, with the message reading: "Akki on fire -- Akash knows how to take wickets in T20 cricket.
The 24-year-old, who began his IPL journey with Rajasthan Royals and was part of Chennai Super Kings’ title-winning campaign in 2023 before moving to Lucknow Super Giants, registered his best IPL figures with 3 for 26 on Friday.
"'Akki knows how to take wickets in T20 cricket', right?" Akash said when asked about the message on the piece of paper, adding that it serves as a source of motivation and helps him focus on dominating batters and delivering stronger performances for the team.
"Different things motivate different people. Some days I show the paper, some days I don't, but it reflects my mindset on that particular day. When you carry a piece of paper with something written on it, you manifest things and the most important part is when those manifestations actually materialise," he added.
Akash, who hails from Bharatpur in Rajasthan, said the strong backing from the Lucknow Super Giants support staff over the last two years had played a huge role in his growth as a cricketer.
"I've been with LSG for two years and the most important thing has been the backing from the coaches, even when I'm not in the playing XI. This year we have Bharat Arun sir, last year Zaheer sir was there...Tom Moody. The way they guide us, prepare us and keep us ready for opportunities is very important when there are 25 players in the squad," he said.
"When you are not playing, you naturally seek backing and every player wants to make the most of the opportunities he gets. The support from the captain also matters a lot and with Rishabh bhaiya backing you, the confidence grows and you are able to perform better," Akash said, referring to Rishabh Pant.
Akash said Pant had asked him to trust his strengths ahead of the clash against CSK.
"He told me that the new ball is my strength and that I can swing it both ways. So I just tried to make the best use of my skills. The wicket also had good bounce, so I focused on using the bouncer effectively,” added Akash.
On his success against CSK, Akash said his experience of playing in the IPL since 2020, including a stint with CSK, helped him understand the opposition batters better, while backing his own strengths with the ball also played a key role in his impressive spell.
"Obviously, when you play in the IPL and have shared the dressing room with some players, you understand their strengths and weaknesses. My focus was first to back my own strengths, then exploit their weaknesses and also make the best use of what the wicket was offering," Akash said.
Akash said he had sensed over the last two-three games that an opportunity could come his way after being repeatedly told to "be ready", though he admitted he was unfortunate not to get a chance earlier.
"Two days before the match, during practice, I was told to be ready," he said.
Clarifying that he had not been carrying the piece of paper in anticipation, Akash said he often notes down thoughts that could help improve his game..
"Whenever I’m alone or about to sleep, any thought that comes to my mind which can help my cricket, I write it down. The other night I got this thought and jotted it down on paper," he added.
