Centre Must Bear Full Cost For COVID Vaccination In Odisha: BJD

Bhubaneswar: The ruling BJD on Sunday said the Centre should bear the total cost of COVID-19 vaccination in Odisha.

“As the pandemic has put enormous financial pressure on Odisha, the Centre should bear the entire cost for COVID-19 vaccination. This will enable the state government to utilise the surplus money for the development of health infrastructure,” BJD Rajya Sabha member Amar Patnaik told the media here.

The MP further said the Centre should immediately accept the Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik’s request to the Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman to waive off the GST for the purchase of COVID vaccines from Serum Institute of India and the Bharat Biotech.

Referring to the release of Rs 333.80 crore by the Centre to Odisha in the first instalment for the management of COVID-19, he said that this is a meagre amount. Taking the district-wise share into consideration, it will be only come down to Rs 10 crore for each of the 30 districts in Odisha, he added.

Patnaik further said prior to the release of the first instalment by the Centre, the CM had sanctioned more financial assistance to three districts. The CM had also sanctioned Rs 5 lakh assistance to each panchayat during the pandemic last year, he pointed out.

“The Centre should have released the first instalment to Odisha much earlier. Considering the alarming pandemic situation in the state, it should release the second instalment very soon,” Patnaik pointed out.