Gehlot rejects BJP charge on vaccine waste

By levelling such allegations, BJP is working to break the morale of our corona warriors.

JAIPUR: Chief minister Ashok Gehlot on Friday rubbished the allegations of the BJP that 1.15 million doses of Covid vaccines in the state have been wasted.

He said the BJP is trying to do politics by spreading lies and bringing down the morale of front-line workers.

“By levelling such allegations, the BJP is working to break the morale of our corona warriors, who have been working for 14 months. I will appeal to the leaders of the opposition not to do such negative politics during the time of pandemic,” he tweeted.

He said according to the data recorded on the COWIN software, 1,63,67,230 people have been vaccinated in the state till May 26. Of these, 3.38000 doses have been damaged, which is just 2%. This is much lower than the national average of 6% of vaccine wastage and 10% of the vaccine wastage permitted by the government of India.

He tweeted since the starting of the vaccination drive on EVIN (software for tracking vaccines) technical difficulties were faced at vaccination centres, such as twice entry of 295,000 doses.

For this reason, the total number of vaccines on EVIN software was stated to be 1,70,01,220, which is not correct. In Rajasthan only 338,000 doses are wasted, Gehlot said.

“Similarly, Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand were also accused for vaccine wastage of 30.2% and 37.3%, respectively, but the chief ministers and health ministers of both the states reported 0.95% in Chhattisgarh and 4.65% in Jharkhand. It seems that in the time of the epidemic, the central government is deliberately trying to mislead the public,” he said.

Gehlot said in the video conference held on May 21 that Union health minister Harsh Vardhan had said that there is a technical problem in the central government portal which increases the percentage of vaccine wastage. He assured that the Centre would talk to the states to present the correct figures and then release the data. The Union health minister himself admitted that the technical difficulty of the portal increases the percentage of wastage of the vaccine.

“We are doing the task of managing Covid by taking everyone along, but the BJP is trying to lower the morale of the corona warriors who have been working day and night for 14 months by making such false allegations,” said the CM.

“The entire nation is watching this politics of lies by the BJP during the time of pandemic. Because of the wrong policies, they have failed to provide the vaccine, and now they want to blame on the states,” he said. “I will appeal to the opposition leaders of Rajasthan to pressurise the Centre by remembering the interest of the state so that Rajasthan can get more vaccines. Also, pressurise the central government for free universal vaccination. Rajasthan tops the country in vaccination and will continue to do its best work even further,” said the CM.

BJP spokesperson Mukesh Pareek said, “Doses of vaccine had gone waste and the CM should accept it. The state is second in terms of vaccination because of vaccines provided by the Centre; the CM should also accept this.”