Assam, Telangana too promise free Covid vaccine

HYDERABAD/ GUWAHATI: A day after Bihar BJP’s poll manifesto promised free Covid-19 vaccine, triggering a similar announcement by the governments of MP, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, two more states — Assam and Telangana — said the doses against the virus would be given free to their people.
While Telangana health minister Eatala Rajender said the vaccine will be given free of cost to the poor and healthcare workers, his Assam counterpart Himanta Biswa Sarma said the doses would be free for people in his state.“There is no question of commercialising it,” Rajender told TOI, adding that it is the responsibility of the state and Centre to ensure free vaccination for the poor.
“Those who come to government hospitals will be given free dose. Cost does not matter. CM K Chandrasekhar Rao has implemented several schemes for the benefit of the poor and this (free vaccine) will also be made available to them,” he said.
In the first round, healthcare workers in all government and private hospitals will be given the vaccine followed by the poor and daily wage labourers. Rajender said once the vaccine distribution formula is announced, they would work out the parameters.
In Guwahati, Sarma said: “Vaccine will be free in Assam. The government of India has decided to distribute the vaccine free of cost.” However, the Centre has made no such announcement that it has decided to distribute the vaccine free of cost to states. Meanwhile, Congress continued to attack BJP for “politicising the pandemic” through the latter’s manifesto promise with former Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah taunting the governing party, saying Kannadigas were awaiting a similar announcement ahead of byelections in the state.