In Punjab, many get Covid vaccine faking as construction workers

Karam Prakash

Tribune News Service

Patiala, June 4

Thousands of ineligible persons are said to have got themselves vaccinated faking as construction workers in Punjab. The state had put construction workers in the priority group for vaccination.

Records reveal that around 1.5 lakh unregistered “construction workers” and their family members have been vaccinated by the state Health Department so far. Majority of them are, reportedly, fake. The vaccination of such persons was allegedly undertaken without proper verification. The Health Department, however, claims the beneficiaries were vaccinated in the presence of labour officers.

The Tribune team talked to some of the persons vaccinated under the construction workers’ category. It was found they were not construction workers or in any way associated with such work. In Tarn Taran, one such beneficiary turned out to be a housewife from a business family. The Labour Department is now verifying the data.

VK Janjua, Principal Secretary, Labour Department, said, “Majority of the vaccinated unregistered construction workers are turning out to be traders and the like. We will fund only for the vaccination of genuine workers.”