Now, KMC-run health units to have separate Covid Vaccination Centre numbers

KOLKATA: Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) announced on Wednesday that all its urban primary, health centres and mega centres would have a CVC (covid vaccination centre) number for being identified as approved inoculation centres.

Beneficiaries, who will book slots by sending a message to 8335999000 via WhatsApp, will also be intimated about the CVC number of the vaccination centre against the booking.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday reiterated that her government had already taken strong action against those involved in the scam. She dubbed the fake vaccination case as an isolated episode.

Banerjee alleged that her government was being targeted and misinformation about the case was being spread at the behest of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) with the intention to malign Bengal.

"In Gujarat, COVID-19 vaccines were distributed from the BJP's office. Why was there no investigation ordered there? How many letters had the Union Health Secretary sent," she asked, retorting sharply to the Union Health ministry's letter asking the state government to probe into instances of vaccination camps being organised allegedly by unauthorised people in some parts of Kolkata and submit a report in the next two days.

"They cannot shrug off their responsibility in the case. What were they doing? It was a planted game," Banerjee asserted. She maintained that persons like him (Debanjan Deb) were cheaters, who had been photographed with leaders of all political parties.

"In the coming days, his pictures will also be found along with BJP leaders," she added. She also claimed that Bengal was being deprived of vaccines.

Meanwhile, the sleuths during investigation learnt that the fake vaccination camp accused, Debanjan Deb, had kept a huge number of fake labels of Covishield in his office, out of which few had been pasted on the Amikacin injection vials that were seized from there.

Deb had bought a high resolution colour printer to print fake Covishield labels.

So far, police have come to know that about 1000 such labels were printed. The design of the label was found on his computer.

During the raid at his house and office, cops had seized computers, laptops and a high resolution printer. While checking the computer and laptop hard disks, investigating officers found the design in picture format. It was revealed that Deb did not try to print those labels somewhere else as it would have exposed him. Police also learnt that Deb had unobstructed access to several departments of the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC).

Meanwhile, three people were arrested for duping a job seeker by promising to give him a job in the KMC. Cops are trying to find out whether the trio had any link with Deb or not.