Mamata Banerjee writes to PM Modi regarding purchase of COVID-19 vaccines

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi regarding the purchase of COVID-19 vaccines and make the upcoming Assembly polls safe.

In the letter to PM Modi, Banerjee wrote: "We have embarked upon the COVID vaccination programme in right earnest. All the health workers, police workers, municipal workers, revenue workers and frontline workers are being covered by COVID vaccination at a rapid pace."

"In fact, West Bengal being an election-going state, we are required to reach out practically to every government and para-statal employee on an urgent basis to make the election safe," she added.

The West Bengal Chief Minister highlighted the concern that people will be forced to go to polling stations without any vaccination coverage, stating that a rapid vaccination programme is needed to reach out to them in the interest of health and well-being of all concerned with the election process.

"Under the circumstances, Government of West Bengal has decided to procure adequate number of vaccines for the members of the public at large. We would request you to kindly take up the matter with appropriate authority, so that State Government is able to purchase the vaccines from designated point (s) on top priority basis, because the West Bengal Government wants to provide vaccination free of cost to all the people," Banerjee wrote further.

According to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW), currently, there are 3,399 active COVID-19 cases in West Bengal. A total of 5,63,846 infections along with 10,253 deaths have been reported in the state.

Elections for 294 Assembly seats in West Bengal are likely to take place in April-May this year.

( With inputs from ANI )