Mamata urges PM Modi to vaccinate Central, State govt employees on priority

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi requesting the vaccination of Central and State government employees working at frontline positions.

In the letter, Mamata requested that the Centre make available an adequate number of vaccines to all the state government so that they are able to cover all their employees without any delay.

"In Bengal, we have already taken steps to complete vaccination of a large section of frontline and electorally engaged employees across several sectors, we still need minimally 20 lakh doses to cover all the employees," she wrote.

The Chief Minister also requested that Central government employees like those working in Railways, Airports, Ports, Defence, Banks, Insurance, Post and Telegraph, Coal and other sectors, be vaccinated on priority.

She said that employees working the aforementioned sectors were working to keep essential activities uninterrupted, are forced to face the people, and run the risk of contracting the virus.

"Unfortunately, the Central Government policies keep no room to accommodate their needs," she added.

The Centre on April 19, had announced a ''liberalised'' policy, making all above 18 years of age eligible to get vaccinated from May 1. It has also allowed state governments and private hospitals to purchase vaccines from manufacturers.

While the Central government continues to provide vaccines to all those above the age of 45, it is on the state governments to innoculate the rest.

( With inputs from ANI )