Bengal civic body promises tax waiver to encourage Covid vaccination

In December, the Ahmedabad civic body came up with a lucky draw scheme for people, who have taken both doses.

KOLKATA: A civic body in West Bengal has announced that a family would get 25% of its unpaid property tax waived if all eligible members of the family receive their double doses of the Covid-19 vaccine.

A health care worker vaccinates a beneficiary. (ANI)

“To encourage those people, we have decided to waive 25% of the unpaid property tax if all members of a family, who are 18 years and above, receive both doses of Covid-19 vaccines,” said Debasis Banerjee, one of the administrative board members of South Dum Dum municipality, which run the civic body.

Also, younger people would be given sports items such as football and cricket bats or essential items needed in schools such as school bags if they receive their first dose, the civic body announced.

In December, the Ahmedabad civic body came up with a lucky draw scheme in which people, who have taken both doses, participated for a smartphone worth ₹60,000.

Also, the Rajkot Municipal Corporation launched a mega-vaccination programme while announcing ₹50,000 smartphone to a lucky draw winner taking the second Covid-19 vaccine dose between December 4 and 10.

Out of the population of around 100 million in West Bengal, around 70 million are above 18 years. To date, while around 68.6 million people have received their first dose, 47.5 million people have got their second dose. Around 54,850 people in the 15-17 age group have received their doses.

“In Kolkata, we have started a door-to-door campaign to encourage people to get the jabs. This is yielding results,” said an official of the Kolkata Municipal Corporation.

West Bengal on Thursday registered 10,959 Covid-19 cases and 37 deaths. The daily count in the state shot up to over 24,000 earlier this month prompting the government to impose restrictions.