Rahul Gandhi, Chidambaram slam Centre’s vaccination policy

Congress leaders on Friday slammed the Government of India (GOI) over its vaccination policy, with former celebration chief Rahul Gandhi pitching for centralised buy and decentralised distribution of vaccines.

In a collection of tweets, former Finance Minister P. Chidambaram identified the flip-flops by the Narendra Modi authorities on the problem of obligatory licensing to permit different producers to supply the authorized vaccines.

“GOI’s vaccine policy is compounding the problem. Vaccine purchase should be centralised and distribution decentralised. India cannot afford this,” Mr. Gandhi stated on Twitter.

Mr. Chidambaram tweeted to ask if folks can belief “this government to protect one’s life and livelihood”.

“We have heard of double-faced, but this government has three faces. Face 1: India joins South Africa and tells the world that IPR (patent rights) for Covid vaccines must be suspended. Face 2: On May 9, the government files an affidavit in the SC claiming that bringing vaccine patents under the statutory regime (that is compulsory licensing) will be “counter productive”. Face 3: On May 13, NITI Aayog member, Dr. V.K. Paul helps the manufacture of Covaxin by different personal producers (by means of obligatory licensing),” he stated.

Central Vista mission

In one other set of tweets, the previous Finance Minister focused the Modi authorities over its continuance of the Central Vista mission that features establishing a brand new Parliament constructing aside from new houses for the Prime Minister and the Vice-President of India.

“Cost of vaccines to vaccinate all people over 18 years (about 102 crores) is ₹ 35,000 crore. Cost of Central Vista is ₹20,000 — may be more. Cost of one person’s vanity = 60 per cent of the value of lives of the adult population of India. This is ‘sabka saath, sabka vikaas’,” tweeted Mr. Chidambaram.