Lone {photograph} of Naveen Patnaik in posters/hoardings at vaccination centres triggers row

By PTI
BHUBANESWAR: As the Odisha authorities kick began the large COVID-19 vaccination drive on Monday, the ruling BJD and the opposition BJP crossed swords over image of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik alone being displayed within the hoardings and posters on the inoculation websites.

The BJP employees strongly protested lone image of Patnaik at vaccination centres in Balasore, Koraput and Angul districts.

The saffron occasion employees additionally introduced down some such invoice boards, sparking rigidity.

Union Minister Pratap Sarangi, who represents Balasore in Lok Sabha, stated “There is no point in displaying the CMs picture alone at the vaccination sites.”

“Our workers wanted the picture of Prime Minister Narendra Modi should also be properly displayed there. I will draw attention of the Centre in this regard”.

BJD vice-president and MLA Debiprasad Mishra, nonetheless, justified the show of Patnaiks footage on the vaccination websites, saying “though the centre is funding vaccines the state has the key role in inspiring people to get inoculated.”

He alleged that the COVID vaccination progarmme is being politicised although public cash is being utilised for the inoculation drive.

“The COVID vaccine should not be dubbed as Modi vaccine, Stalin vaccine, Nitish vaccine or Naveen vaccine”, Mishra stated.

M Ok Stalin is the brand new chief minister of Tamil Nadu whereas Nitish Kumar is heading the NDA authorities in Bihar.

BJP which changed Congress as the primary opposition in Odisha after 2019 state election has been confronting the ruling Biju Janata Dal politically on a number of points.

Mishra questioned why some persons are illiberal in the direction of the hoardings or pictures of Patnaik being positioned on the vaccination centres.

“Above all, Naveen is a popular leader whose appeal reaches people. Some people want to create a controversy out of nothing to get political mileage,” he stated.

BJD’s MLA from Balasore Swarup Das stated, “we have no problem in PM’s picture in the vaccination certificate. why the BJP leaders are objecting to Naveen Patnaik’s photo at vaccination centres?” In Angul, some BJP employees additionally tore down the chief minister’s posters on the vaccination centres.

Earlier, the Prime Minister had introduced freed from price COVID vaccine to all Indian residents above 18 years of age from June 21.

The Odisha authorities earlier within the day ramped up vaccination drive setting a purpose to inoculate at the least 3 lakh folks on daily basis.

The state has achieved a landmark in its struggle in opposition to coronavirus by administering over 1 crore vaccine doses up to now, in line with official knowledge.

The coastal state on Monday inoculated 3,32, 717 beneficiaries, it stated.

Beginning its vaccination drive on January 16 together with different states, Odisha has so far administered as many as 1,00,25, 629 doses to folks beneath totally different classes like well being care employees, frontline employees, and people above the age of 18.

Around 82 lakh folks have obtained their first dose whereas greater than 18.21 lakh beneficiaries received the second dose, it stated.

As many as 20,64,833 folks within the age group of 18-44 years, 33,51,787 folks within the age group of 45 to 60 years, and 27,65,556 senior residents have been administered the vaccine up to now, it stated.

Khurda district of which the state capital Bhubaneswar is a component has administered the best 13,96,574 vaccine doses adopted by Ganjam (9,39,285), Cuttack (7,49,665), and Balasore (5,58,096).

The vaccination drive is being performed at 1,594 centres throughout the state1,558 authorities amenities and 36 non-public hospitals.

The state authorities earlier within the day ramped up vaccination drive in a marketing campaign mode after setting a purpose to inoculate at the least 3 lakh folks on daily basis.

Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik recommended the healthcare employees for his or her dedication to making sure a swift inoculation course of to save lots of lives.

“Achieving a significant milestone in #COVID19 vaccination, #Odisha has administered 1 crore vaccine doses including vaccination of our frontline warriors,” Patnaik tweeted.

The Health Department claimed that Odisha has recorded minus 3 per cent COVID-19 vaccine wastage which is “one of the best” within the nation.

It was achieved primarily as a result of environment friendly and efficient administration of the vaccination train, the division stated.

“Due to the negative wastage, we have been able to save 2.9 lakh doses of vaccine till date,” the H&FW division tweeted.

A file variety of 69 lakh vaccine doses had been administered throughout the nation until Monday night on the primary day of the implementation of the Centres ‘revised Guidelines for Covid vaccination’.