Once available at mass scale, everyone in Bihar to get free Covid-19 vaccine: FM

Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman released the Bharatiya Janata’s (BJP’s) poll manifesto for the upcoming Bihar assembly elections on Thursday. She said that once a vaccine to treat the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) is available for production at a mass scale, it will be provided for free to everyone in Bihar.

“As and when the vaccine candidates that are currently under various levels of trials in the country get scientific clearances and a go-ahead for production, the people of Bihar will get vaccination for free once the production in India is on a large scale. This is our first poll promise as mentioned in the manifesto,” Sitharaman said at the party’s manifesto launch in Bihar.

Follow latest updates on Bihar election here

The finance minister added that Bihar is a state where all citizens are politically sensitive and well informed and they understand the promises a party makes. “If anyone raises questions on our manifesto, we can answer them with confidence as we fulfil what we promised,” she said.

The BJP, which is fighting the assembly elections in alliance with chief minister Nitish Kumar’s Janata dal (United) (JDU), has, in its manifesto, also promised 19 lakh jobs in the state in the next five years as opposed to 10 lakh promised by the Mahagathbandhan’s chief ministerial candidate and Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav.

Sitharaman also noted the increase in Bihar’s GDP under the leadership of Nitish Kumar and hailed his “good governance.” “GDP in Bihar has seen a sharp rise under NDA rule, it has grown from 3% to 11.3% in the state in the last 15 years of NDA govt and not during the 15 years of jungle raj. It was made possible because our govt gave priority to good governance for people,” she said

Sithraman urged the people to cast their vote in favour of NDA for the state to become progressive. She said, “Nitish Kumar will be the Chief Minister of Bihar for the next 5 years. Under his rule, Bihar will become a progressive & developed state of India.”

Bihar’s 243-seat assembly goes to polls in three phases on October 28, November 3 and November while the result of the first poll exercise amid the pandemic will be declared on November 10.