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Capt slams Oppn over charges of profiteering from vaccines
Says SAD and AAP are making motivated hue and cry to push their electoral agendas with an eye on 2022 polls.
Rejecting the opposition’s allegations on supply of vaccines to some private hospitals and procurement of fateh kits as “politically motivated”, chief minister Capt Amarinder Singh on Tuesday said there was no question of the state government making profits amid the pandemic, which it was battling hard to save lives.
Accusing the Akalis and AAP of spreading misinformation and weakening the state’s war against Covid by raising non-issues, Amarinder said they were making motivated hue and cry to push their electoral agendas with an eye on the 2022 assembly elections.
“The state government has not indulged in any wrongdoing. Quick and unusual decisions have to be taken in an emergency war-like situation. All protocols were strictly followed and emergency rules were invoked to meet the crisis,” he said in a statement, terming media reports on alleged scams as sensationalism.
The CM said he was with his officials 100% on these issues, adding that no amount of opposition hullaballoo can undermine the true intent of his government.
He also took serious note of the large-scale gatherings being organised by the SAD against the state government in brazen violation of the Covid safety protocols and the curbs in place. “In their desperation for power, Sukhbir Badal and his party colleagues were endangering the lives of the people through such gatherings,” he said.
He claimed that the 40,000-odd doses made available to some private hospitals was a one-time measure to provide some vaccination options to non-priority groups in 18-45 category. The hospitals were provided the vaccines at the price at which they were to buy from the manufacturers, he said, adding that since the decision was not being taken in the right spirit, it was withdrawn, but there was no question of any irregularity as the entire money went into the health department’s vaccination fund.
Health secretary Hussan Lal said that of the 42,000 vaccines given to private hospitals, only 1,300 were used and the remaining had already been returned to the state government.
