Agriculture Minister Kurasala Kannababu said Sunday that the state government was ready to spend 1,600 crore, the estimated amount it would take to buy COVID-19 vaccines to complete the vaccination campaign across the state.
In a media conference held at his residence on Sunday, Mr Kannababu dared the TDP National President N. Chandrababu Naidu to take the initiative to lobby the Bharat Biotech group to get the necessary vaccines to the state government deliver instead of fighting the campaign.
“The state government has requested 4 lakh doses of vaccines from the center and allocated 1,600 crore for the vaccination campaign. However, the pharmaceutical companies say they are unable to meet the demand in a timely manner, ”said Kannababu.
The Agriculture Minister said the government had decided to give those who received the first dose a priority when giving the second dose of vaccine. He said the government, with the assistance of the secretariat, had set a record for vaccinating 6 lakh in a day.