CM Mamata wants Centre's COVID-19 policy disbanded; WB govt moves SC for uniform pricing

The West Bengal government on Friday filed a petition before the Supreme Court, seeking to disband the current COVID-19 vaccination policy and implement one that ensures uniform distribution and pricing of vaccines.

The Mamata Banerjee government has called for the removal of the differential pricing mechanism and a fair strategy to distribute vaccines among the states, rather than compelling them to compete with each other for the procurement of doses.

"The Government of India must take urgent steps on a war footing basis to ensure that COVID-19 vaccines are made available to the states for free decentralized distribution to the masses without any further delay," the Bengal government said in its plea.

Noting that herd immunity could only be achieved if 70% of the adult population is vaccinated, the government stressed that the Centre must expedite the process of procuring vaccine from all the recognised domestic and global manufacturers.

"Disband the 'Liberalised and Accelerated Phase 3 Strategy of COVID-19 Vaccination' policy and adopt and implement a uniform policy of procuring 100 percent doses of COVID-19 from 16 vaccine manufacturers which can be equitably distributed to the States and Union Territories for free de-centralized distribution," the plea stated.

States opposes differentiated vaccine prices

The phase 3 vaccination drive began on May 1 allowing all citizens aged 18 years and above to get inoculated against COVID-19. Several state governments, however, protested against the differential pricing policy. While the Centre purchases Covishield and Covaxin doses at Rs 150 each, the states are charged Rs 300 and Rs 400 per dose, respectively.

The Bengal government told the top court that it had placed formal orders for 1 crore doses each of Covishield and Covaxin jabs on April 29, but the order has not been delivered as both the suppliers have insisted on receiving the payments first. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who took over as the CM for a third term on Wednesday, announced that she would hold a protest if the Centre does not provide free vaccines to the citizens.