Youths unable to get vaccination, charges DKS

Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee president D K Shivakumar, on Thursday said that the chief minister, who suggested online registrations for Covid vaccinations, later suspended it. The youths should fight to get their doses of vaccines, he opined.

Speaking at a programme organised to distribute food kits to the poor, at Nagamangala in Mandya district, he said, “Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa himself launched the vaccination registration drive at the Bowring Hospital in Bengaluru. I had directed the students and rural youths to register their names for vaccines. But, there are no vaccines. I have collected details from the state’s chief secretary. The youths are not getting vaccines. Now, we have to fight to get our dose of vaccines.”

“I announced Rs 100 crore from MLA and MLCs fund for purchasing vaccines to overcome shortage. We will buy vaccines by inviting tenders in a transparent manner, from the same agencies, which supply to the government. We will provide free vaccines to the poor. But, the state government has not given permission for this,” he said.

The party workers have donated more than 200 ambulances across the state, which is serving the people. We have been working to save the lives of the people, he said.

The farmers growing fruits and vegetables are worst affected due to Covid induced lockdown. The government itself should purchase the farmers’ produce and bail them out, he stressed.

There was a heavy rush in getting the food kits distributed by the party to the autorickshaw, cab drivers and labourers of unorganised sector.

Though it was announced that food kits will be distributed symbolically only for 20 people, hundreds of people had gathered at the venue. The police had a tough time in controlling the surging crowd.