NE NEWS SERVICE
AHMEDABAD, JUNE 21
Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday said the central government has decided to increase the pace of vaccination against COVID-19 in July and August.
आज गांधीनगर लोकसभा क्षेत्र में कोविड टीकाकरण केंद्रों का निरीक्षण किया। प्रदेश सरकार द्वारा सभी केंद्रों पर कोविड प्रोटोकॉल के तहत समुचित व्यवस्थाएं की गई है। मैं सभी से वैक्सीन लगवाने की अपील करता हूँ।
मोदी सरकार देश के सभी नागरिकों के नि:शुल्क टीकाकरण के लिए कृतसंकल्प है। pic.twitter.com/ETqc7eJHiq
— Amit Shah (Modi Ka Parivar) (@AmitShah) June 21, 2021
Talking to reporters after visiting a vaccination centre in Ahmedabad, Shah said with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s decision to provide free vaccine against COVID-19 to people aged 18 and above, “we will fast achieve the goal of inoculating almost everyone”.
“The central government has decided to increase the pace of vaccination in July and August,” he added.
Shah said from Monday morning, an important journey has started in the fight against COVID-19 under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
रुपाल गाँव, गांधीनगर के सुप्रसिद्ध श्री वरदायिनी माता मंदिर में पूजा अर्चना करके देश की समृद्धि व देशवासियों के कल्याण के लिए प्रार्थना की।
ગાંધીનગરના રૂપાલ ગામના પ્રખ્યાત શ્રી વરદાયિની માતા મંદિર ખાતે પૂજા-અર્ચના કરીને દેશની સમૃદ્ધિ અને દેશવાસીઓના કલ્યાણ માટેની પ્રાર્થના કરી. pic.twitter.com/xFrp3zUTMo
— Amit Shah (Modi Ka Parivar) (@AmitShah) June 21, 2021
The PM had taken an important decision that the Centre will provide free of cost vaccination to those aged 18 and above, he said while congratulating Modi for it.
In a country having such huge population, providing free vaccination is a big decision, Shah said.
On the International Yoga Day on Monday, the drive of free vaccine for all is being launched across the country, Shah said, adding that India was already on top in the vaccination programme.
“Now we will reach the target to vaccinate almost all very fast,” he said after visiting the vaccination centre at Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya hall in Bodakdev area of Ahmedabad.
Shah also appealed to citizens to get vaccinated against the coronavirus at the earliest.
“Those who have taken their first dose, should also get their second shot if it is due as per the government’s guideline. Only after receiving both the doses can we make ourselves safe against coronavirus,” Shah said.
He was accompanied by Gujarat Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel.
Shah, who represents the Gandhinagar Lok Sabha constituency in Gujarat, is on a two-day visit to his home state.
He started his tour with a visit to the vaccination centre in Ahmedabad, where the local civic body aims to reach a daily inoculation target of one lakh starting Monday.
The Union minister is also scheduled to visit two more such centres in the state capital Gandhinagar.
From Monday, the Gujarat government also launched a spot registration facility for beneficiaries in the age group of 18 to 44 years along with a mega vaccination drive with the aim of increasing the pace of inoculation.
The state government said the aim of the special drive is to generate awareness among members of the public about the importance of vaccination in the fight against coronavirus.
The mega drive was launched with a ‘vaccine utsav’ (vaccine festival) organised in the presence of various ministers, leaders and dignitaries across 1,025 such centres in 33 districts and 8 municipal areas of the state, the government said in a release.
State minister courts controversy, suggests vaccination as precondition for free Central grains
Gujarat minister and BJP leader Yogesh Patel on Monday stirred controversy by suggesting that free food grains under the Central scheme be allotted only to the COVID-19 vaccinated people.
Hitting back, opposition Congress said the BJP government in Gujarat had no right to bring in such a rule as the Centre had not made coronavirus vaccination compulsory to avail of any benefits under public welfare schemes.
Speaking to reporters in Vadodara, Patel said he will make a representation to Chief Minister Vijay Rupani and the new district collector of Vadodara about introducing a “new scheme”, apparently to increase vaccination percentage.
“I will make a representation to the new district collector and also to the CM that let’s bring in a new scheme. The Centre recently announced to distribute free food grains till Diwali. I suggest that free food grains be given only to those people who have received the (COVID-19) jabs,” the Manjalpur MLA who is Minister of State for the Narmada and Urban Housing department said.
Earlier this month, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had announced that the government will distribute free food grains to around 80 crore needy people till Diwali this year as part of relief to the poor amid the second wave of coronavirus.
Meanwhile, senior Congress leader from Vadodara Ami Ravat has termed the minister’s suggestion “absurd”.
“This is an absurd suggestion. When the Centre itself has not made vaccination compulsory for availing of benefits then why a Gujarat minister is suggesting so? While the BJP at the Centre claims that they will give free grain to the poor, local BJP leaders are coming up with ideas to see that the poor do not get it.” said Ravat, Leader of Opposition in the Vadodara Municipal Corporation.
