BHUBANESWAR: Chief minister Naveen Patnaik on Wednesday urged his counterparts to keep differences aside as he sought to build a consensus on the Centre procuring Covid vaccines and distributing them among states.
He also sought flexibility for states in vaccine distribution to carry out the goal of universal inoculation.
“The best option available is for the Government of India to centrally procure the vaccines and distribute it among the states so that our citizens are vaccinated at the earliest,” Naveen wrote to the chief ministers a day after Odisha health minister Naba Kishore Das wrote to Union health minister Dr Harsh Vardhan requesting that the Centre procure the vaccines and distribute them among the states.
“I would respectfully suggest that all the state governments should come to a consensus on this issue for early resolution of this problem.
We should act fast before any third wave comes and creates further havoc,” wrote Naveen.
Naveen said some of the chief ministers he had spoken to share a similar opinion.
It must be mentioned that recently Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan had written to non-BJP CMs to press the Centre to purchase vaccine on behalf of states.
In his letter to the chief ministers, Naveen wrote that the ongoing pandemic is the greatest challenge facing the nation.
“I am sure that we will set aside whatever differences we have, either political or otherwise, and come together in the true spirit of cooperative federalism for saving precious lives and hard-earned livelihoods.
I look forward to a productive way forward to pull our country out of this unprecedented crisis and we as a team owe it to our citizens,” he added.
CM: Online registration difficult in hilly areasMentioning that many states have floated global tenders to buy vaccines, Naveen said the manufacturers are unwilling to get into supply contract with state governments.
“They are looking forward to the Union government for statutory clearances and assurances while the domestic players have supply constraints,” Naveen wrote.
“No state is safe unless all the states adopt vaccination as the top most priority and execute it on war footing,” he mentioned, adding, “But, this cannot be a battle among states to compete against each other to procure vaccines.” Arguing for flexibility in vaccine distribution, Naveen wrote that online registration may make vaccination in hilly areas with poor internet connectivity difficult.
Similarly, states may like to give priority to some vulnerable tribes for which they should be given the liberty.
Naveen had earlier written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on April 16 asking the Centre to allow vaccine in the open market outside government supply chain so that those willing can take the shots.
Union minister Dharmendra Pradhan welcomed Naveen’s suggestion.
In a series of tweets, Dharmendra thanked the Odisha CM for reposing faith on the Prime Minister while requesting the Centre to supply vaccines to all states.