‘Vaccination needs to be done by Centre’
RANCHI: Even as Covid-19 cases have started declining in Jharkhand, chief minister Hemant Soren says the state can’t let its guard down as uncertainty about the nature of the pandemic remains. In a telephonic interview with Vishal Kant, the CM batted for better coordination between the Centre and the states. Edited excerpts:
We are in the middle of the second wave of the pandemic. The numbers in Jharkhand have stared falling. What is the government’s assessment?
Our experience shows there is a lot of uncertainty related to this disease. It keeps going up and down. Now there are more features coming up like black fungus. I think the numbers going down could also be a result of the restrictions we have put in place. So we cannot lower our guard...
Vaccination drive is very slow in the state. What’s the plan ahead?
There is no denying the fact that there is shortage of vaccines due to supply constraints. Initially, the Centre was doing the procurement and distribution. Then they suddenly left it to the state to procure it for the 18-44 group. That has led to a chaotic situation. States are now going for a global tender
Yes, its in the process.
Absolutely... The Centre should be doing all procurement and distribution. They are allocating oxygen, medicines and equipment. Similarly, vaccination needs to be done at the national stage.
Centre-state relations often become a talking point... Your tweet about the PM went viral, with the BJP hitting back. Did you mean to say that such meetings/discussions are not fruitful?
There needs to be transparency. I tweeted about the phone call only after news started flashing on TV that he spoke to CMS. We saw how Delhi CM Kejriwal was reminded about the protocol... But how come what the PM speaks comes in the media... My view was that the state governments need to be taken into confidence before taking any decision. Or else there would be problems in implementation.
Mamata Banerjee raised the issue of the PM-DMS conference. You were a part of it. Do you share similar views?
I want to clarify that I have no ego hassles to sit there with the DMS. However, such meetings are against the principles of federalism. I totally agree that such meetings are done to humiliate us where we have nothing to speak or contribute. Will the Centre be comfortable if I start doing review meetings with the Union health secretary?