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Raipur, April 23 (PTI): Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel on Friday urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to make Covid-19 vaccines available to states at the same rate at which the Centre was receiving its stock.
He also demanded a vaccine supply timetable from the Centre so that the state could chalk out an effective drive to cover eligible people as quickly as possible.
Baghel was speaking at a meeting held by the PM virtually with chief ministers of 10 states with the most number of Covid-19 cases.
The Chattisgarh CM said the way oxygen-producing states are providing their post-need additional oxygen to other states on priority, manufacturers of Redmisivir and other life-saving medicines should also start supplying the same to the other states on priority basis, and the Centre must issue guidelines in this matter.
An official release said Baghel also requested the PM to provide permission for production and use of industrial oxygen in Chhattisgarh, as such a move will not only save the economy from getting adversely affected but will also protect thousands of families associated with these industries from an employment crisis.
Licenses have been issued to eight units for oxygen production in the state, where 29 units are currently manufacturing the vital gas, he said.
Nearly 18 per cent of the state’s population has been given the first dose of the vaccine against COVID-19, and 90 per cent health care workers, 84 per cent of frontline workers and 69 per cent of people in the 45 plus age group had been vaccinated, the CM informed the prime minister in the meeting.
Stringent measures were in place to curb black- marketing of medicines, and MP and MLA funds were being used to provide health infrastructure, the release quoted him as saying.