Free COVID vaccine for everyone in Bengal: Mamata Banerjee
Kolkata,
Jan
10:
The
West
Bengal
government
is
making
arrangements
to
provide
free
COVID
vaccines
to
all
the
people
of
the
state,
Chief
Minister
Mamata
Banerjee
has
said.
In
an
open
letter,
Banerjee
said
the
COVID
warriors,
including
police,
home
guards,
civil
defence
volunteers,
correctional
home
and
disaster
management
employees,
will
be
administered
the
vaccine
on
a
priority
basis.
"I am happy to inform that our government is making arrangements for reaching the vaccine to all people of the state free of any charge," the chief minister said in the letter addressed to the frontline workers.
Banerjee expressed her gratitude to all the COVID warriors for their selfless service to the people of West Bengal.
COVID-19 vaccine race: Main candidates and where they stand
India is set to launch its COVID-19 vaccination drive from January 16 with priority to be given to nearly three crore healthcare and frontline workers across the country.
The chief minister''s announcement of free vaccination for everyone comes months ahead of the assembly elections, which are likely to be held in April-May.
Earlier, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan had made a similar announcement. The southern state will also go to polls along with Bengal.
The Bihar government has also given the cabinet nod to provide free vaccine to every citizen of the state, a promise the BJP made in its manifesto for the assembly elections held in October-November.