Center for free vaccination and free rations at an additional cost of Rs. 1.5 lakh crore

(PTI) New Delhi, Dt

The central government has provided an additional Rs. 1.5 lakh crore. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday announced free vaccinations for all people above the age of 18, for which Rs. 3,000 to Rs. 50,000 crore is estimated to be spent, which is Rs. Much more than the Rs 5,000 crore budget. In addition, to provide free rations to more than 50 crore people, the central government has provided Rs. 1.10 lakh to Rs. 1.50 lakh crore. A total of Rs. 1.5 lakh crore will be spent.

Under PMGKAY, the central government will provide five kg of wheat or rice and one kg of pulses per person per month to more than 200 million people till November. Sources said that focusing on the policy of vaccinating people between the ages of 18 and 5, Prime Minister Modi on Monday announced that the Center would now purchase vaccines for all people above the age of 18 and provide them to the states. The scheme will start from June 21. That means states will no longer have to incur any costs for the vaccine. The central government will purchase vaccines from vaccine manufacturers and provide them to the states.

Sources said that the central government has received Rs. 2,12 crore and record tax collection on petrol and diesel. India currently uses the covachield vaccine of AstraZeneca produced by the Serum Institute of India and the covacin juice produced by Bharat Biotech for the vaccination campaign. Commercial sales of Russia's Sputnik-V vaccine will begin in the country in the middle of this month. The central government is also in talks with foreign vaccine manufacturers to buy additional doses of the vaccine. India has provided 20 million doses of vaccine under the world's largest vaccination campaign.

Meanwhile, the central government has placed orders for the purchase of 20 million doses of Covishield and 150 million doses of Covacin. The government has also ordered the purchase of 200 million doses of the biological vaccine. The vaccines will be available from September. Thus, the government will buy a total of more than 3 crore doses, said the member of the policy commission (Health) Dr. V. That. Said Paul. He added that the vaccines will be available from now until December 2021. The government has given 20 per cent in advance to the Serum Institute of India and Bharat Biotech for the purchase of vaccines.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi also announced to provide free rations to more than 200 million people affected by the second wave of the Koro epidemic by Diwali, i.e. November. The central government introduced the PM Poor Welfare Food Scheme (PMGKAY) during the first wave of the Corona epidemic between April and November 2020. The scheme has been re-launched from May to November 2021 due to the second wave of Corona epidemic.

The food subsidy estimate for the current financial year is Rs. 2.5 lakh crore. The budget estimate for food subsidy for the year 2020-21 is Rs. 1.15 lakh crore, which was revised to Rs. 4.5 lakh crore was made. The main reason behind this amendment was the decision to provide free rations to the poor during the relative lockdown of Corona.