NEW DELHI: Delhi Congress president Anil Kumar on Monday asked Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal to honour his "promise" of providing free COVID-19 vaccination to the city residents.
Vaccination of people aged 60 years and above and those with comorbidities in 45-59 years age group began at 192 hospitals including 136 private ones in Delhi on Monday.
The cost of vaccination at private hospitals is Rs 250 per dose while it is free at 56 government hospitals.
According to Kumar, the Delhi government had said that there were 42 lakh people in the city who need to be vaccinated but if they are made to pay for it then most would abstain from taking the shots.
"Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had announced, days before the country embarked on a COVID vaccination drive, that Delhiites would be given free vaccine shots if the BJP government at the Centre failed to do so.
He should honour his promise now," Kumar said.
All sections of people are struggling to earn a living following the COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting lockdown, as many people have lost their jobs and means of livelihood.
"Most people in Delhi are not in a position to pay for COVID vaccination which will result in a majority of them skipping it," he claimed.
In January, Kejriwal had said that his government will provide coronavirus vaccine free to the people of the national capital if the Centre failed to do so.
He had said that he appealed to the Centre for ensuring free vaccination in the country since there are many people who may not afford the life-saving shot.