West Bengal minister Firhad Hakim said the government is procuring the vaccines for the 18+ population and that is why there's nothing unusual within the move.
Firhad Hakim said there's nothing unusual about this because the state governments of Punjab, Chhattisgarh and neighbouring Jharkhand have already started issuing similar vaccination certificates to people within the 18-44 years.
Amid the continued Centre versus West Bengal tussle, the government has replaced PM Modi's photo on Covid-19 vaccine certificates thereupon of chief minister Mamata Banerjee. Justifying the move, the government said that this is often only on the certificates being issued to people falling between the age bracket of 18 and 45 because the government is procuring these vaccines, not the Centre.
An official told press agency PTI beneficiaries of 45 plus are becoming certificates of vaccination with the photograph of Prime Minister Narendra Modi as in other parts of the country, but those falling within the 18-44 age group have photographs of Mamata Banerjee because the government is using its resources to acquire these vaccines.
"The government has started procuring vaccines directly from the manufacturers and arranging for inoculating the population. that's the rationale it's been decided to use photograph of the CM on the certificates," the press agency quoted a politician as saying.
State minister for housing and outgoing mayor of the town Firhad Hakim, who is additionally the chairman of the Kolkata Municipal Corporation board of administrator, said other states also are taking similar steps.
"All information regarding inoculation is there on the certificate. ranging from the batch number of the vaccine, there's also CoWIN license number . Besides, a special message of the CM," Hakim told PTI adding that Punjab, Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand have already replaced PM's photo thereupon of their respective chief ministers.
PM Modi's photo on Covid-19 vaccine certificates triggered an issue before the state elections and therefore the photo was faraway from certificates within the poll-bound states for the nonce . The photo reappeared after the stipulated period was over.
From May 1, the third phase of the vaccination against Covid-19 has begun during which state governments also are procuring vaccines directly from vaccine makers.
