'Vaccinate people in Karnataka free of cost from May 1': HDK

Bengaluru, Apr 24 (PTI) The Karnataka government should vaccinate people in the state free of cost as announced by some other states when the inoculation for everyone aged above 18 years commences nationwide from May 1, former Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy said here on Saturday.

"As the government has decided to vaccinate everyone above 18 years, I appeal (to the State government) to inoculate 6.5 crore people of the state, who are in financial distress, free of cost," Kumaraswamy tweeted.

He pointed out that Jharkhand, Goa, Chhattisgarh, Uttar Pradesh, Assam, Madhya Pradesh, Kerala, Bihar and Sikkim have already announced free vaccination and the same should be done in Karnataka.

He said that in the current scenario,people will not get vaccinated if they are charged for it and so the government should announce that the shots would be administered free of cost to all those aged above 18 years, from May 1 "Already Rs 400 crore has been earmarked to purchase one crore doses of vaccine.

It will not be a burden to reserve Rs 2,000 crore for vaccines for a government, which has presented a budget of Rs 2.5 lakh crore," Kumaraswamy said.

The JD(S) leader claimed that he had given the advice on free vaccination one-and-half months ago to the government "It will be a commendable decision to vaccinate everyone free of cost the way Pulse Polio vaccine was given," Kumaraswamy said. PTI GMS APR ADMINISTRATOR APR ADMINISTRATOR