New Delhi, Apr 30 (IANS): Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi demanding that socially and economically weaker sections of the society should be given top priority in vaccination for Covid-19 and on-site registration facility should also be provided for all.

The Chief Minister in his letter said that there is a possibility that socially and economically weaker sections of the society may get deprived of vaccination if only online registrations are allowed, therefore, on-site registration should be allowed for the 18-44 years age group in the same way it was allowed for 45-year age group.

In his letter dated April 28, Baghel apprised Modi that the population of 18-44 years age group is estimated to be around 1.30 crore in the state who will be administered 2.60 crore vaccines.

He told the PM that the state government has decided to provide free of cost vaccine to people above 18 years of age. "We have ordered 25 lakh doses of each Covishield and Covaxin," he added.

Highlighting that large number of registrations in a situation when vaccines are not available in that proportion will create congestion in the management of the session sites made for vaccination, Baghel urged that the order of priority in this age group should be set by the Centre and priority should be given to socially and economically weaker sections.

Baghel also mentioned in his letter that around 72 per cent of people above 45 years of age have been vaccinated in the state.