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Updated June 2nd, 2021 at 17:57 IST

Odisha CM writes to peers to back Centre buying COVID vaccines as some continue politics

Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik urged the Centre to centrally procure vaccines & distribute them to the states, citing that inoculation was the only way to beat COVID

Reported by: Koushik Narayanan
Odisha
ANI/PTI | Image:self
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As the battle against the second wave of COVID-19 continues, Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik urged the Centre to centrally procure vaccines and distribute them to the states, citing that inoculation was the only way of offering people the 'hope of survival.' In a letter dated June 2, Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik urged the Centre to decentralise the vaccination programme's execution and grant flexibility to the states to determine its own mechanism to ensure universal vaccination. Urging various state governments to come together to find a resolution, Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik revealed that he had spoken to the CMs of certain states who held a similar opinion and termed the vaccination drive as the 'biggest challenge' after the Independence struggle.

Odisha CM writes to other CMs for consensus on centralised procurement of vaccines

How CMs tried to clamour over COVID vaccine supply

As the battle against the second wave of COVID continues, the efforts of various state leaders to procure vaccines by themselves have not panned out as they'd planned and have only led them back to square one - proposing that the Centre be the one to procure them for everyone, and meanwhile lodging political attacks daily over the shortage. Earlier, the Union Government, as a part of its initiative to liberalise the COVID-19 vaccination drive across the country as the second wave had picked up alarmingly, allowed people above the age of 18 years to receive the jab along with those aged over 45 years and the frontline workers who were already eligible to receive the dose, and also allowed states and private entities almost a free hand in procurement and distribution. This decision had come amid significant clamour from Chief Ministers & leaders of various political parties to empower the states in this regard. Now, even as the same CMs have changed their stands and put onus (and blame) on the Centre once again, their letters to the Prime Minister have come under the spotlight once again.

A series of letters written by the CMs for various states reveals how they attempted to clamour for a greater say on vaccine supplies before such authorisation was granted, only for them to meet a dead-end. Before the 'global tender rush' was permitted, Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik had written to PM Modi seeking the availability of vaccines outside the Centre's supply chain in addition to approving COVID vaccines that were globally recognised.

 What happened to the procurement plans of states?

In their attempt to procure vaccines on their own and to perhaps 'prove a point' to the Centre, various states including Maharashtra, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Karnataka, Odisha, West Bengal and others floated global E-tenders. However, the states made little-to-no progress in their attempts to individually procure vaccines as global makers categorically stated that they would not deal with state governments. Pfizer has noted that its supply agreements are currently with national governments & supra-national organisations, thereby answering the states' call to procure vaccines individually. US vaccine maker Moderna also cited a similar argument after refusing to deal with the Punjab govt. Barring Sputnik, the states have not received a positive response regarding the procurement of COVID-19 vaccines and have since returned to attacking the Centre over this on a daily basis.  

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Published June 2nd, 2021 at 17:57 IST

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