Karnataka Congress to amass Rs 100 crore fund to procure COVID-19 vaccines, seek permission from Centre, state
“Since the Modi and Yediyurappa governments have collectively failed to vaccinate the masses, we want to do it ourselves. We just need two small permissions, one from the Central government and one from the state government,” state Congress chief DK Shivakumar said in Bengaluru.
FollowThe Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) on Friday announced that it has prepared a 'Rs 100 crore plan' to procure vaccines directly from vaccine manufacturers to be administered to people in the state. Senior party leaders Siddaramaiah and DK Shivakumar also sought permission from the Centre and the state governments to allow them to do so.
“Since the Modi and Yediyurappa governments have collectively failed to vaccinate the masses, we want to do it ourselves. We just need two small permissions, one from the Central government and one from the state government,” state Congress chief DK Shivakumar said in Bengaluru.
Currently, vaccine procurement rules in India allowed central and state governments, hospitals and industries to directly procure vaccines.
Shivakumar said Rs 10 crore would be contributed by the Karnataka Congress Party Committee (KPCC) fund. Another Rs 90 crore will be mobilised from the Congress MLA/MLC funds.
“I appeal to the Yediyurappa government to please allow us to use the MLA/MLC funds to procure vaccines directly in a transparent manner because the Modi and Yediyurappa governments are failing to do so for months now,” the KPCC chief said.
“The government has miserably failed to protect the people and vaccinate people. Hence, the MPs, MLAs and MLCs of the Congress, who are 95 in number have decided to donate at least Rs one crore each to procure vaccine,” Siddaramaiah said. “This is an unprecedented decision in the history of Karnataka,” he added.
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