Congress submits memorandum to GovernorEnsure free COVID-19 vaccination for all : MPCC

Imphal, Jun 4 (EastMojo)
The Manipur Congress on Friday submitted a memorandum to Governor Najma Heptulla urging the Government to guarantee 1 crore vaccination per day and ensure free vaccination to every Indian citizen amid a surge in COVID-19 cases.
Former Chief Minister and CLP leader Okram Ibobi Singh was accompanied by Manipur Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) president K Govindas, AICC CWC regular member Gaikhangam and MLA K Meghachandra.
As directed by the All India Congress Committee under the leadership of party president Sonia Gandhi, the State Congress delegation discussed with the Governor about the need to have free and universal vaccination of all the citizens of the country.
The memorandum sought the attention of the Governor to ensure free and total vaccination, with two doses on time of all the residents in Manipur.
Briefing the media after meeting the Governor, leader of the Opposition Ibobi Singh appealed to the State Government on the need to have a time-bound, aggressive and mass vaccination–besides random testing which had been taken up lately–across the State, in both the valley and the hills.
He also said that the State Government had no clear-cut policy on providing any compensation–in the form of extending Rs 20 lakh to Rs 50 lakh–to the doctors, para-medical staff and frontline COVID-19 warriors and police personnel who passed away fighting the COVID-19 pandemic. He also asked why there should not be a compensation of Rs 4 lakh, as per the Government’s order which already was in place, each to the next kin of the deceased due to COVID-19 in Manipur.
Ibobi Singh further questioned the rationale behind the delay of the 2nd dose in the State and making those citizens, with 1st dose wait for three months while Prime Minister Narendra Modi took the 2nd dose within  a gap of one month. He pointed out that what the testing would do if there were no vaccines, as the vaccination should be given the top priority to save the lives from the severity of COVID-19 infections and COVID-19 deaths.
In the memorandum, it mentioned that COVID-19 has caused unprecedented devastation and immeasurable pain to nearly every Indian family. Tragically, the Central Government has completely abdicated its duty of fighting the coronavirus and abandoned the people, leaving them to fend for themselves. The truth is that the Union BJP Government is guilty of criminal mismanagement of COVID-19, alleged the Congress party. It further stated that vaccination is the only protection in the midst of the raging COVID-19 pandemic. Other countries started placing purchase orders for vaccines from May 2020 the Modi Government placed its first order of vaccines only in January 2021.
As per the Government of India, it has administered 21.31 crore vaccine doses till May 31, 2021. But, only 4.45 crore Indians have received both the doses of vaccine, which is only 3.17% of India’s population. In the last 134 days, the average pace of vaccination is about 16 lakh vaccine doses per day. “At this pace, it will take over three years for us to vaccinate our adult population. If this is the case, how will we save our fellow citizens from the third wave of Corona is the question that the Modi government needs to answer” said the Congress party in a memorandum.
The Congress party further stated that the need of the hour is for the BJP Government to procure the vaccine and supply it for free to the States and private hospitals.
“Also, we need to vaccinate our entire adult population of above 18 years on or before December 31, 2021. This is the only way to save our people. For this, the only solution is to vaccinate at least one crore people a day and not at the current average of 16 lakh people a day,” it added.