Ranchi, April 27: Hours after Prime Minister Narendra Modi virtually interacted with representatives of states, Jharkhand Health Minister Banna Gupta on Wednesday said it was more of a “political meeting”, with discussions primarily focused on fuel price hike and not the COVID-19 situation, unlike what its agenda had stated.
Gupta, who attended the meeting on behalf of Chief Minister Hemant Soren, also said that Jharkhand’s voice went unheard in the session.
In view of the increasing cases of Covid-19 in the country, Prime Minister Modi on Wednesday interacted with the Chief Ministers and Health Ministers of all the states of the country through video conferencing.
“I had raised my hand at the meeting as I wanted to seek free booster dose for Jharkhand. However, I wasn’t given a chance to speak. Jharkhand’s voice went unheard…
“The meeting was more of a political one, with 60 per cent of its time devoted to discussions on fuel price hike, and 40 per cent on the emerging COVID-19 situation,” the minister claimed.
He demanded that free precautionary doses be made available in the state for children of 12 years of age and below.
The health minister also gave assurance that all COVID-19 protocols suggested by the PM during the meeting would be followed in the state.
Flagging higher fuel prices in many opposition-ruled states, Modi has urged the governments there to reduce VAT in “national interest” for the benefit of people.
He also said that challenge of the pandemic is not fully over yet, with the increase in coronavirus cases in the last two weeks manifesting the need to stay alert, and underlined that vaccination remains the biggest protective shield against the virus
Minister Banna Gupta demanded that children aged 6-12 years should get free vaccine, as well as free booster doses for people of all ages.
The Health Minister said that all the points of health on which the attention was drawn by the PM will be complied with. He further said that diesel and petrol should be brought under the purview of GST, this will solve all the problems. People will get relief from the increase in the prices of petrol and diesel.
He said that Jharkhand being a backward state, I did not get a chance to speak. He tried to keep his point by raising his hand several times but was not given a chance. Along with this, the Health Minister said that as cases of Covid are increasing, in view of them, 12-year-old children should be vaccinated for free.
