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‘No delay in initiating purchase pacts with domestic Covid-19 vaccine manufacturers’: Centre
The minister said that a total of 1.35 billion (135 crore) Covid-19 vaccine doses are expected to be available in the country between August and December.
There has been no delay in entering into purchase agreements with domestic Covid-19 vaccine manufacturers and advance payments have been made for the supply orders, minister of state of health and family welfare Dr Bharati Pravin Pawar told Parliament on Friday.
The minister’s written reply came in response to an unstarred question raised by Congress MP Rahul Gandhi and Trinamool Congress’s Mala Roy on whether the government has taken note of a significant delay in entering into advance purchase agreements with vaccine manufacturers, thereby affecting the pace of the vaccine rollout.
Pawar also said that a total of 1.35 billion (135 crore) Covid-19 vaccine doses are expected to be available in the country between August and December.
On being asked whether the government aims to inoculate the entire adult population by the end of the year, the minister said it is an ongoing process guided by the National Expert Group on Vaccine Administration for Covid-19 (NEGVAC) based on scientific evidence.
She said ₹9,725.19 crore has been spent so far on the vaccination programme, in the form of procurement of vaccines and the operational costs.
The Congress responded on Twitter by saying that it exposed the government’s lies. “Modi Govt’s lies exposed in reply to Shri Rahul Gandhi’s question in Parliament on #Vaccination: Govt says - 1. No fixed Timeline can be indicated for completion of vaccine drive ! 2. Only 9,725 Crore spent on #COVID19 Vaccination drive against budget of 35,000 crore,’’ tweeted Congress leader Randeep Surjewala.
While replying to another question, which was posed by Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam’s Dayanidhi Maran, the minister of state claimed, “ The government is not facing any issues in procurement and distribution of Covid-19 vaccines.”
She also said in her reply that the government has “taken many steps to augment the domestic manufacturing capacity of Covid-19 vaccine”.
Dr Pawar said that the government is providing support to Bharat Biotech and three Public Sector Enterprises (PSES) under Mission Covid Suraksha, the Indian Covid-19 Vaccine Development Mission. Financial assistance is being given to one of the domestic vaccine manufacturers for ‘at-risk manufacturing’, paying manufacturers in advance against supply orders placed and streamlining regulatory norms for approval of vaccines.
Dr Pawar’s previous statement that there were no records of oxygen-related deaths during the second wave caused a furore with the Opposition moving a breach of privilege notice against her.
