MP, Tamil Nadu CMs promise free Covid-19 vaccine

Taking to Twitter, Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan wrote, “Coronavirus vaccine preparation work is going on fast in India. As soon as the vaccine is ready, it will be made available to every citizen of Madhya Pradesh for free.”

New Delhi: Tamil Nadu and Madhya Pradesh chief ministers said on Thursday that as soon as a vaccine for coronavirus disease (Covid-19) is available, they would provide it to the people of their respective states free of cost.

Representative image.(Reuters)

Taking to Twitter, Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan wrote, “Coronavirus vaccine preparation work is going on fast in India. As soon as the vaccine is ready, it will be made available to every citizen of Madhya Pradesh for free.”

Chouhan’s announcement decision came hours after Tami Nadu chief minister Edappadi K Palaniswami declared that a vaccine will be distributed free of charge in his state as well.

“Once COVID-19 vaccine is ready, it will be provided to all people of the state free of cost,” announced Palaniswami a leader of the Bharatiya Janata Party ally All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK).

Earlier in the day, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman released the Bharatiya Janata Party’s manifesto for the Bihar assembly elections, and promised free Covid-19 vaccine for the people of the poll-bound state.

The announcement kicked off a political storm with the opposition accusing the BJP of trying to politicize the pandemic, and the ruling party stating that the announcement should not be seen as a poll promise as health is an important aspect of public policy.