Cong attacks government over vaccine shortage

New Delhi: Hitting out at the Centre over vaccine shortage in the country, the Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday demanded that the vaccine purchase should be centralised and distribution decentralised as the government's vaccine policy is compounding the problems.

"GOI's vaccine policy is compounding the problem. Vaccine purchase should be centralised and distribution decentralised. India

cannot afford this," he said in a tweet. The Congress has been demanding free vaccination for all and has criticised the government's vaccine policy, saying it is discriminatory.

Later in the day, Congress leader Shaktisinh Gohil attacked the government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi for 'creating' shortage of vaccine by allowing the export of the vaccine instead of vaccinating every citizen of the country.

Cornering the Centre for not considering the recommendations of Parliamentary Standing Committee report on vaccination, the Congress leader said, "The Department Related Standing Committee of the Parliament had in its October 16, 2020 meeting suggested increasing the production of vaccine and subsidising the vaccine cost for the weaker sections of the country, especially in rural and urban slum areas."

"The Panel had also suggested the government to ensure every citizen of the country get vaccinated, but the government didn't consider the recommendations of the Parliamentary Committee. If the Centre would have followed the panel's suggestions, the situation would have been different now," he said.

Congress also reiterated its previous demand of doing away with the required 28 per cent GST levied on medical supplies for corona and on ambulance rides and urged the Prime Minister to vaccinate 60 per cent of the population

The party also reminded the Centre about the pre-poll promise of delivering free vaccines against Covid-19 they made in Bihar and asked why the responsibility of procuring vaccines has now been left to the states.

"In the Bihar elections, you (the Prime Minister) and the finance minister had declared that free vaccines would be available, was it a jumla?" Gohil said, adding, "Why are you putting the burden on the states today? Why are you blaming your sins on the states?"