New Delhi, Jun 21 (IANS): Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia on Monday said the Central government will be supplying only 15 lakh Covid vaccine doses to the national capital in July, and it will take around 16 more months to inoculate the city's entire population at this rate.
Addressing a digital press conference, he said the Centre's free mass vaccination drive was moving at a "snail's pace".
Noting that on June 7, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had announced that all citizens aged 18 years and above will be vaccinated free of cost from June 21 with the Centre distributing doses to states, Sisodia said: "I got to know that no free vaccine has been supplied for use beyond June 2."
Training guns on PM Modi, he said: "You have been saying India has been conducting the largest vaccination drive globally, but it has turned out to be the most mismanaged, derailed and messed up exercise in the world."
Meanwhile, he also asserted that, at present, Delhi needs around 2.30 crore doses to vaccinate to inoculate the entire people in the national capital. "In lieu of this so-called free vaccination drive, the Centre will provide only 15 lakh doses to Delhi in July."
Sisodia also accused the Centre of investing money on advertisements, instead of procuring much needed vaccines. "Several newspapers across the nation today published one-page advertisements of Central Government's largest vaccination drive. In fact, the BJP-led Centre had also put pressure on Delhi government officials to advertise this BJP toolkit," he added.
He also quipped that whether India's vaccination drive is the world's largest drive or not, it would certainly be the longest vaccination drive.
As per the data provided, Delhi had received 7.13 lakh vaccines for the 45 years plus category in January, and 7.39 lakh vaccines in February.
Similarly, 18.70 lakh vaccines for 45 and above were provided in April and 4.50 lakh vaccines for the 18-44 age group. In May, Delhi was provided 9.56 lakh vaccines for 45 and above, and 3.67 lakh vaccines for the 18-44 age groups, and in June, received 8.21 lakh vaccines for 45 and above, and 6.20 lakh vaccines for the 18-44 age group.