Mamata Banerjee writes to Modi seeking doses to jab govt staff

Many government employees, staff of aided institutions like teachers, accredited social health activists and anganwadi workers are yet to receive vaccine shots

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee addresses a press conference at State Secretariat, Nabanna, in Calcutta on Thursday. PTI Photo

Pranesh Sarkar   |  TT  |  Calcutta   |  21.05.21: Mamata Banerjee on Thursday wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, requesting him to make 20 lakh Covid-19 vaccine doses available to Bengal to complete inoculation of all state government employees.

“In Bengal, while we have 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... We would request you to kindly make available an adequate number of vaccines to all the State Governments so that they are able to cover all their employees without any further delay,” the chief minister wrote.

Sources said the state government had started vaccination of all employees and staff of aided institutions like school teachers and local bodies considering them as frontline workers in January.

But the process was hit because of shortage of vaccine doses. Many government employees, staff of aided institutions like teachers, accredited social health activists (ASHA) and anganwadi workers are yet to receive jabs.

“It is realised that the vaccination of these employees has become a necessity after the novel coronavirus reached rural areas. During the first wave last year, ASHAs and anganwadi workers had worked hard to keep the rural areas safe by detecting the infected early. They should be vaccinated against Covid with priority as they have to play an important role this time too,” said a senior government official.

“The state is trying to arrange for vaccine doses by procuring vials from the manufacturers directly. But the Centre has to provide vaccines for state government employees and frontline workers,” said another official.

Mamata also pointed out in her letter that the Union government should ensure that employees of central utilities like railways, airports, ports, defence and banks were given vaccines on a priority basis as “they have been forced to face people, to mingle with the public for discharge of their duties”.

The chief minister, however, expressed concern that the Centre had no plans to make the programme successful. “Unfortunately, the Central Government policies keep no room to accommodate their needs,” read the letter.

Sources said Mamata had raised the issue as thousands of central government employees worked in Bengal and the containment of the contagion would be easier said than done until the most vulnerable section of the people was vaccinated.