Karnataka to purchase 1 crore doses of Covishield vaccine at Rs 400 crore
Bengaluru, Apr 22: The Karnataka government on Thursday decided to purchase 1 crore doses of Covishield vaccine at a cost of Rs 400 crore.
"The Chief Minister has approved the purchase of 1 crore doses of Covishield vaccine at a cost of Rs 400 crores, in the first phase.This will be used for vaccination of persons between 18 to 44 years," his office said in a statement.
Pune-based Serum Institute of India (SII) is the manufacturer of Covishield vaccine.
The central government had recently announced that vaccination for those above 18 years will begin across the country from May 1 as part of the third phase of the inoculation drive.
With government giving manufacturers and importers pricing freedom, SII has said that Covishield vaccine will be priced at Rs 400 per dose for state governments and Rs 600 for private hospitals.
Yediyurappa, on getting discharged from hospital earlier today, where he was undergoing treatment for Covid-19 for the last six days, said the pandemic situation had become "uncontrollable".
He chaired a meeting of Bengaluru ministers this evening to assess the situation in the city.
At the meeting, Health Minister K Sudhakar informed that the issue of shortage in oxygen supply and medicine in the city has been resolved, a CMO release said.
He also clarified that there was no shortage of vaccines, it said.
It was also decided at the meeting to strengthen fever clinics in the city, test those with fever and other symptoms, and to give them appropriate guidance, so that only those in need can be hospitalised.
The Chief Minister gave instructions to strengthen the helpline, aimed at immediately responding to issues faced by the people.
He also issued directions on giving priority to provide treatment and teleconsultation for those in home isolation and to keep vigil on them.
It was also directed to ensure that private hospitals reserve beds for COVID patients and Deputy Commissioner of Police for respective zones were instructed to visit hospitals in this regard.
Nodal officers have been made responsible for COVID management in their respective zones.
The Chief Minister also asked officials to take up morale-boosting measures among healthcare staff.
It was also decided to make necessary alternative arrangements for keeping bodies at crematoriums, as queuing of ambulances carrying them at crematoriums for hours has resulted in their shortage.
Help of volunteers for COVID management, wherever required, will be taken, according to the release.
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Fascism will not be allowed to enter through the back door of vote rigging: CM Siddaramaiah
New Delhi: Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Sunday asserted that fascism would not be allowed to enter India “through the back door of vote rigging” and called upon citizens to collectively defend the country’s democratic foundations.
Speaking after participating in an anti–vote rigging protest organised in New Delhi, Siddaramaiah said the gathering was not merely a political demonstration but a stand to protect Indian democracy. “We have come to the heart of our republic not as Congress workers or voters, but as protectors of Indian democracy,” he said.
Emphasising the importance of the right to vote, Siddaramaiah said it was the most sacred right guaranteed by the Constitution and the very foundation of democracy.
“Through voting, a farmer shapes the future of his children, a worker safeguards his dignity, a youth realises dreams, and a nation expresses its collective will,” he said.
He accused the BJP-led Union government of attempting to undermine this right through what he termed systematic vote rigging, including the alleged misuse of the special revision of electoral rolls. “This power is being stolen repeatedly,” he alleged.
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Warning against authoritarian tendencies, Siddaramaiah said history had shown that dictatorship does not begin with violence but with the misuse of institutions and manipulation of democratic systems.
“Across the world, authoritarian regimes pretend to protect democracy while quietly subverting it. This is what the BJP is doing today,” he charged.
He alleged that the ruling party was controlling institutions, intimidating electoral machinery, distorting voter lists, suppressing voter turnout in opposition strongholds, and misusing money and power. “This is not mere maladministration. Vote rigging is an attack on the very idea of India,” he said.
Siddaramaiah further claimed that governments formed through “stolen votes” could not be considered democratic.
“Such regimes survive through fear, fraud and distortion of the people’s mandate,” he said, adding that vote rigging posed the biggest threat to the republic since Independence.
Praising Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, Siddaramaiah said he had shown exceptional courage in exposing alleged irregularities in voter lists, booth-level manipulation and “systematic, organised vote rigging” across several states, including Karnataka, Haryana and Bihar.
Referring to Karnataka, Siddaramaiah cited Mahadevpura and Aland constituencies as examples highlighted by Gandhi. In Mahadevpura, he said, thousands of allegedly fake and fraudulent voter entries and discrepancies in electoral rolls pointed to a narrow BJP victory. In Aland, he said, attempts were made to remove the names of legitimate voters ahead of the 2023 Assembly elections.
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He noted that a Special Investigation Team (SIT) had recently filed a chargesheet accusing seven persons, including a former BJP MLA and his son, of attempting to delete the names of around 6,000 voters in Aland.
“This is a significant legal step in the fight against vote rigging,” he said.
Siddaramaiah concluded by stating that the fight against vote rigging was rooted in constitutional morality, Ambedkarite thought and the core principle of democracy. “Sovereignty belongs to the people, not to any party, regime or those who seek to steal elections,” he said.
