PM Modi’s photo off vax certificates in Punjab

Karam Prakash

Tribune News Service

Patiala, May 25

Amid a vaccine crunch, the Punjab Government has reportedly removed the photo of Prime Minister Narendra Modi from vaccination certificates issued to beneficiaries in the 18-45 age group.

Keep Rs 1,000 cr for vaccination: sad

Advertisement

SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal on Tuesday requested Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh to make a special allocation of Rs 1,000 crore to purchase vaccines for the state in the next six months. He also called for giving a monthly pension of Rs6,000 to all families, who had lost their bread winners to Covid.

The Tribune found that the vaccine certificate for the beneficiaries was without the photo of the Prime Minister. The Punjab Government clarified that it had purchased the vaccine directly from the supplier for people aged between 18 and 45 years.

Notably, the Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh governments have already replaced the Prime Minister’s photo with their own respective Chief Ministers.

Hussan Lal, Principal Secretary, Health and Family Welfare, said, “We (Punjab Government) have purchased the vaccine for the 18-45 age group directly from the vaccine supplier. Earlier, vaccines for beneficiaries above 45 years were provided by the central government.”

He said as the state government was buying vaccines on its own, that could be the reason for the removal of the photo of the Prime Minister from the vaccination certificates.

Sources said the Health Department had clearly communicated to the people about the short supply of vaccines.

Dr GB Singh, Director, Health and Family Welfare, said, “The photo of the Prime Minister is not there on the certificates because the vaccine is being purchased by the state government on its own. Besides, the portal to download the certificate — Corona Virus Alert (COVA) — is also of the Punjab Government.”

State Health Minister Balbir Singh Sidhu could not be contacted for a comment despite repeated attempts.