TN CM Stalin wants more control for states but welcomes PM Modi centralising vaccine drive

Responding to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's announcement of a centralized COVID vaccination policy, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin on Monday welcomed the Centre's decision to provide vaccine to states free of cost. The DMK chief, while appreciating the Prime Minister for scrapping the decentralisation policy rolled out on May 1, made a pitch to ensure greater participation of the states in the immunization drive. 

Highlighting Prime Minister's address to the Nation in which he 'stressed' that health is a state subject, the Tamil Nadu CM remarked that it would be 'appropriate' for each state to be given complete control of registration, validation and administration procedures of the vaccination. Stalin's pitch comes at a time when several states have been demanding a state-specific vaccine registration portal in place of the existing Co-WIN website. 

Earlier in May, Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray had written to PM Modi seeking the Centre's permission for a separate mobile application for COVID-19 vaccination in the state, claiming frequent glitches in CoWIN platform. Thackeray had emphasized on the 'sudden surge' in the number of citizens wanting to register for vaccination nationally, there is a fear about the app malfunctioning or crashing, as he made his case for a separate app developed by the states where data can be shared with the Union Ministry. 

On the other hand, the Government of Chhattisgarh had rolled out the CG Teeka portal, a vaccination booking website, launched to enable the disadvantaged section of its population to register for the Covid-19 vaccination programme through help desks, to be set up at hundreds of locations across the state. The state’s chief minister Bhupesh Baghel had said the CG Teeka web portal does away with the requirement of a mobile number, keeping in mind the largely poor and rural population of the state. However, reports later suggested that the portal was inaccessible and faced frequent glitches. 

All-in-all, states have been welcoming of the Union government centralising the COVID vaccine procurement and sparing them of having to do so, as they were all too quick to demand in the blamegame over the second COVID-19 wave.

PM Modi announces Centralised Vaccination Policy

In an address to the Nation on Monday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a 100% Centralised Vaccination drive against the COVID-19 pandemic, which will be implemented within two weeks. Making the key announcement, PM Modi announced the scrapping of decentralised policy rolled out on May 1, adding that the Centre will account for procurement of 75% of COVID-19 vaccines from the manufacturers and subsequently provide these free to the States for inoculation. The remaining 25% would be available for private players, with a Rs 150 cap on the service charge they may apply.

After announcing the Centre's decision to take over the procurement and distribution of COVID-19 vaccines from states, Prime Minister Narendra Modi also proposed a potentially gamechanging 'Each One, Pay One' policy, allowing those who can afford it to pay for COVID-19 vaccines for the needy. While the details of the policy are still to be announced, it has been learnt that the 'Each One, Pay One' policy is an effort to invite people to contribute towards the collective battle against COVID-19 even as the Centre provides free vaccines to all those above 18 years of age. 

To facilitate the 'Each One, Pay One' policy, sources have said that the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) will soon issue vouchers that can be bought to fund the COVID-19 immunization drive for the poor. Sources have added, with the massive ramp-up of vaccine production and procurement, the immunization drive is likely to reach 16 crore people in the month of July.