States must ramp up cold storage system for Covid vaccine: Modi tells CMs

Prime Minister held two meetings through video with eight Chief Ministers and Lieutenant Governors to discuss the coronavirus situation in the states and preparations for vaccine delivery

India's priority is to make a coronavirus vaccine "safe on all scientific standards" available to all its citizens, said Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a meeting with chief ministers on Tuesday.

The central government and states have to "work together" in controlling the coronavirus pandemic and "no one can impose any view", Modi told the chief ministers of eight states worst affected in the pandemic. Modi held two meetings through video with Chief Ministers and Lieutenant Governors to discuss the coronavirus situation in the states and preparations for vaccine delivery. With a daily increase of 44,059 in total cases, India’s tally of coronavirus cases has risen from 9,095,806 on Sunday to 9,139,865 – an increase of 0.5%. Death toll has reached 133,738, with 511 fatalities in a day. 

Modi asked the Chief Ministers to share feedback in writing on their Covid-19 strategy, saying "no one can impose any view and all have to work together", NDTV.com reported citing unnamed sources. "Our priority is to make vaccine available for all. States should put in the necessary mechanism including cold storage," he said.

"(The) PM made it clear that in the first stage the vaccine will be given to the frontline health workers, in the second stage to the police personnel, sanitation workers etc, to those above 50 years of age in third stage and to those with co-morbid conditions in the fourth stage," said Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani, according to NDTV.com.

Karnataka Home Minister Basavaraj Bommai said Modi "has given clear-cut directions regarding the vaccine situation. India should be ready to implement the vaccine programme on priority basis in different sectors".

Maharashtra, Kerala, Delhi, West Bengal, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Haryana and Gujarat are the eight states battling rising Covid-19 cases. In the first leg of the meeting, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal blamed the sudden spike on pollution.

He said though the national capital saw a sudden spike of 8,600 cases on November 10, the positivity rate has been steadily decreasing since.

Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, Maharashtra's Udhhav Thackeray, and Rajasthan's Ashok Gehlot were also in attendance.

During the meeting, Banerjee claimed that the state's work against Covid-19 was affected due to the international border it shares with other countries. She also raised the issue of the GST dues that the Centre owes it, according to news agency IANS.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Health Minister Harsh Vardhan were also present during the meeting as were V.K. Paul of the Niti Aayog, the Cabinet Secretary and the Union Health Secretary.