Congress: modified vaccine policy ‘regressive, inequitable’

Senior Congress leaders P Chidambaram, Jairam Ramesh and Ajay Maken said the details of the modified vaccine policy show it was “regressive and inequitable”.

A day after the Centre modified the vaccination policy, the Congress on Tuesday alleged it will overburden the states, encourage profiteering, and worsen inequality as people below 45 years will only get Covid-19 doses through private sales. The party also said the modified policy might lead to unhealthy price bidding in the absence of a price ceiling for vaccine doses.

Congress said the modified vaccine policy might lead to unhealthy price bidding in the absence of price ceiling. (Manoj Dhaka/HT representative image)

In a press conference, senior Congress leaders P Chidambaram, Jairam Ramesh and Ajay Maken said the details of the modified vaccine policy show it was “regressive and inequitable” as states with limited resources will be at a “considerable disadvantage” to fund the vaccines for those under 45.

“States that are already weighed down by shrinking GST revenues, lower tax devolution, reduced grants-in-aid and increased borrowing would have to bear this additional burden. Meanwhile, nobody knows where the thousands of crores of rupees collected under PM-CARES are being deployed,” Chidambaram said.