Maya accuses Punjab govt of profiteering from Covid vaccines

: Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati on Saturday targeted the Congress government in Punjab, accusing it of benefitting private hospitals at the cost of the poor during the vaccination drive against Covid-19. She also demanded that the Centre should take note of the development in the Congress-ruled state.

The former chief minister alleged that the Punjab government purchased the Covid vaccines from the Centre for Rs 400 per dose and sold them to private hospitals for Rs 1,060 per dose.

“After purchasing Covid vaccines for Rs 400 (each) from the Centre, the Punjab government has sold them to private hospitals for Rs 1,060 (each). This is a shameful, heartless, unfortunate and condemnable act of earning profits in pandemic-induced crisis times,” she tweeted on Saturday. “After being exposed in the media, it is now clear that the stand taken by the Congress leadership on corona vaccination and all statements made to that effect were a total sham and I would appeal to the Centre to take notice of the development. This is what BSP is demanding,” she tweeted.

With BJP and other parties also targeting the Punjab government, where private hospitals were further selling it for Rs 1,560 per dose, the Congressruled state has now ordered the private hospitals to return all the stock.