The 66-year-old Trinamool Congress Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee was injured while campaigning in Nandigram. Mamata Banerjee sustained injuries on her left leg and waist as she fell on the ground after she was allegedly pushed by unknown miscreants while campaigning for assembly elections in Nandigram. Although, being a tigress, she is back in the game and is positively participating in the party rallies, road shows and speeches for the upcoming elections in the state. Banerjee, while addressing a rally in Jhargram, West Bengal on March 17 said, “I say give COVID injections to common people, but till Central government does not give permission, nothing can happen. I am saying to you (referring to Narendra Modi) that give me the coronavirus vaccine, I will pay for it; so that I can make the coronavirus vaccine available for everyone for free. I am asking Narendra Modi, but he is not letting me do it. Coronavirus is back again, as you can see. We took care of you during Coronavirus, and we will keep doing the same in the future. But remember, all I want is vaccines to be free, but Narendra Modi won’t let us do it… Why? Today, if we can give free vaccines for polio, malaria, and dengue, we can also give Covishield.”
Mamata Banerjee, in the speech, said that she asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for free distribution of the coronavirus vaccine for common people, but he did not let her do it. It was found that this statement is misleading, as well. In a press release by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare published on February 28, 2021. According to the press release, all vaccines provided to beneficiaries at the Government Health Facilities will be entirely free of cost. At the same time, Private Facilities cannot charge the beneficiary a sum above Rs. 250 per person per dose (Rs 150/- for vaccines and Rs 100/- as operational charges).
A local journalist, confirmed the fact and said, “There is no separate scheme launched by the State government for giving coronavirus vaccine, but the government hospitals are giving vaccines based on the scheme of Central government.”
