Free Covid vaccine, foodgrains to cost Centre up to ₹1.45 lakh crore
NEW DELHI: The government will spend up to ₹1.45 lakh crore additional money to provide free vaccines and foodgrains to people devastated by the deadly second wave of Covid-19 infections, officials aware of the developments said on Tuesday.
Prime Minister Narendra
Modi’s announcement of providing free inoculation to all adults will entail total spending of anywhere between ₹45,000 crore and ₹50,000 crore. This is higher than ₹35,000 crore that the government had budgeted.
Extending 5 kg of wheat or rice and 1 kg of pulses every month to nearly 800 million beneficiaries till November will cost between ₹1.1 lakh crore to ₹1.3 lakh crore.
Taken together, the additional spending could be up to ₹1.45 lakh crore, the officials said.
Reversing a policy where states competed for vaccine supplies for certain age categories, Modi on Monday announced that the central government will procure vaccines for all adults. All above 18 years of age will get
released to Serum Institute of India and Bharat Biotech,” the official said.
The official said the Centre has been supporting the efforts of states and Union territories (UTs) for an effective vaccination drive under the “whole of government approach” since January 16 this year.
Based on various representations received by the Centre, the vaccination for all adults above 18 years of age was opened in the Phase 3 of vaccination strategy beginning May 1.
“Now with the aim to further universalise the countrywide vaccination drive, all citizens above 18 years of age can receive the Covid-19 vaccine doses free of cost at government health facilities,” the official said.
Additionally, the health ministry said more than 11.9 million Covid-19 vaccine doses are still available with the states and UTs to be administered.
Over 240 million vaccine doses have been provided to states and UTs so far through Government of India (free of cost channel) and through direct state procurement category, it said.
The announcement came on a day when India reported fewer than 100,000 new coronavirus infections after a gap of 63 days, while the daily positivity rate dropped to 4.62%. It recorded a single-day rise of 86,498 cases on Tuesday, the lowest in 66 days, taking the total tally of Covid-19 cases to 28.9 million. The Covid-19 death increased by 2,123 on Tuesday, the lowest in 47 days, the health ministry data showed.
The Union government will provide free coronavirus vaccines to states and UTs for inoculation of all above 18 years of age from June 21, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Monday, announcing that the Centre will take over the 25% state procurement quota.
Asserting that vaccine supply would be increased significantly in the coming days, the Prime Minister said the Centre has now decided to buy 75% of jabs from vaccine makers for free supply to states, while private sector hospitals will continue to procure the remaining 25%.