NEW DELHI: The Delhi government will float a global tender for procuring coronavirus vaccines, Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia announced Tuesday, while accusing the BJP-ruled Centre of "forcing" state governments to compete among themselves in the international market for anti-Covid shots.
The BJP hit back at the AAP leader, saying his global tender announcement was aimed at "diverting" attention from his earlier claim that the Delhi government has placed orders with two manufacturers within the country to supply 1.34 crore doses.
Only three vaccines have been approved to be sold in India -- Covaxin, Coveshield and Sputnik V.
Sputnik V has been approved to be imported from Russia by Dr Reddy's, but is yet to be widely available in the country.
Addressing an online briefing, Sisodia alleged that the BJP-ruled Centre was forcing the states to compete and fight in the international market for vaccines.
"We will also do it. We have talked to some states. The Delhi government will do it, some other states are preparing for it," Sisodia said about global tender for procuring Covid-19 vaccines.
Besides Delhi, the governments of Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana on Tuesday joined several other states which have decided to issue global tenders for procurement of COVID vaccines as the domestic supply fails to keep up with the rising demand amid the fierce second wave of the pandemic.
Sisodia said, "If states are asked to purchase vaccines internationally through global tenders, then the state with the largest coffers would unfairly procure the maximum number of doses.
This will lead to fights among them and further bashing and criticism of the country before the international community.
" Alleging that the Centre failed in managing the pandemic and the vaccine rollout, Sisodia demanded it to launch a nationwide COVID vaccination drive on the line of pulse polio campaign.
He charged that by pitting the states against each other and asking them to float global tender for procurement of vaccines, the BJP government has caused embarrassment" to the country.
At a time when the Central government should have tried to float global tenders on the behalf of the states it was busy selling vaccines to Pakistan, Afghanistcoan, Iran, Sri Lanka and other countries, he said.
The Centre's Covid-19 management is a complete "disaster" and India is being ridiculed all over the world, he claimed, adding a similar situation will play out when Indian states compete with each other in the global market for vaccines.
All other countries including the United States and those in Europe prioritised vaccinating their own people first, while the BJP government overlooked the needs of Indian citizens, and sold 6.5 crore doses to 93 countries, he said.
"The Central government raised a question to the Delhi government over why we haven't passed a global tender to procure vaccines.
The Centre already exported vaccines that could have been used in India, and is now sowing a discord among states," Sisodia said.
Responding to the charges, Delhi BJP spokesperson Harish Khurana said Sisodia is trying to divert attention from his claim on Monday that the Delhi government has ordered 1.34 crore doses from two vaccine manufacturers in the country.
"We demand him to present proof of orders for vaccine. Actually, he tried to pass on intent letters written by the Delhi government to manufacturers as orders for the vaccine," Khurana claimed.
What is the need for a global tender if the Delhi government has already placed orders for 1.34 crore vaccines, he asked.
"Sisodia knows that the Delhi government did not order vaccines on time and to cover up this failure he is now talking about global tender and also blaming the Central government."
It is "utterly shameful" on part of AAP government that they are playing with the lives of Delhi people and doing "dirty" politics over vaccines, he added.
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