COVID-19: Amid shortage, BJP's Khushbu wants rations withheld for non-vaccinated Indians

Tamil Nadu BJP leader Khushbu Sundar made a highly questionable statement, proposing that the govt should link ration cards to people's vaccination records and that ration should only be provided to those who were inoculated. The BJP leader's suggestion came even as India grapples with a shortage of COVID vaccine doses and struggles to ramp up production. Khushbu Sundar opined that linking ration cards to vaccination records would push individuals, who were eligible & had still not taken the jab, to get vaccinated. The actor-turned-politician took to Twitter to suggest the linking of ration cards to vaccination records and said that ration should be provided to only those who had got vaccinated.

When questioned on Twitter over her failure to acknowledge that it is a shortage of vaccines that's the primary reason for India's vaccination drive's limited status, Khushbu Sundar upheld that her tweets apply only to those eligible, stressing on the word 'eligible'. It is pertinent to point out that all persons above the age of 18 in India are 'eligible', and such a suggestion for punitive measures comes from a member of the party that rules at the Centre, smacking of irresponsibility. Furthermore, even if Khushbu Sundar purports that slots are available on the COWIN platform, numerous other delivery mechanisms have been proposed to inoculate the people of India, including door-to-door vaccinations, the privatisation of vaccinations, and even creative solutions such as in the US where vaccines are now being administered at subway stations.

BJP's Khushbu Sundar wants rations withheld for non-vaccinated Indians

India's COVID situation

India's COVID-19 death toll climbed to 2,78,719 with a record 4,329 fresh fatalities, while the single day rise in coronavirus cases stood at 2.63 lakh, the lowest in 28 days, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Tuesday. The country reported 2,63,533 new cases in a span of 24 hours, taking the total tally of COVID-19 cases to 2,52,28,996, the data updated at 8 am showed. A total of 2,59,170 cases were reported in a span of 24 hours on April 20. The number of people who have recuperated from the disease surged to 2,15,96,512, while the case fatality rate was recorded at 1.10 per cent, the data stated.

Over 1.94 crore COVID-19 vaccine doses available with states/UTs: Centre

The Centre on Tuesday said that more than 1.94 crore COVID-19 vaccine doses are still available with states and Union Territories, while one lakh jabs will be delivered to them within the next three days. In a statement, the Union Health Ministry said more than 20.78 crore vaccine doses have been made available to states and UTs far. "The government has so far provided, both through the free of cost category and through direct state procurement category, more than 20.78 crore vaccine doses (20,78,04,890) to States/UTs. Of this, the total consumption, including wastages is 18,83,47,432 doses (as per data available at 8 AM today)," it said. "More than 1.94 crore COVID Vaccine doses (1,94,57,458) are still available with the States/UTs to be administered. Furthermore, 1 lakh (1,00,000) vaccine doses are in the pipeline and will be received by the States/UTs within the next three days," the ministry said.

The ministry further said that in the second quarter of May 2021 (May 18 to May 31, 2021), 1.95 crore doses would be made available free of cost by the government to all States/UTs.  This advance information has already been shared with States/UTs by the Centre, the statement said.  "In addition, 72.40 lakh doses would be available for direct procurement by the States/UTs," it said.