New Delhi: West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday (August 5) accused Centre of favouring BJP ruled states while distributing COVID-19 vaccines and appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi not to "discriminate among states." 


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Slamming the Union government, the West Bengal CM said, “Gujarat, UP, Karnataka have received enough amount of COVID vaccines. I don't discriminate among people. Bengal has received fewer vaccines as per its density of population. I would request the Centre and appeal PM not to discriminate among states,” Banerjee was quoted by ANI. 


Addressing the Global Advisory Board (GAB), Nobel laureate Abhijit Vinayak Banerjee laid a scathing attack at the Centre over COVID-19 vaccine shortage and said that the government is incapable of generating supply for the nation. 


Abhijit Banerjee claimed that the promised level of vaccine supplies has not been met. “The biggest problem is that Centre is not capable of generating supply of vaccines for the country. If there were enough vaccines, these claims wouldn't have arisen. We have not received the promised level of supply for the entire nation,” the economist was quoted as saying by ANI. 



GAB was set up by Banerjee to aid the state government in dealing with the coronavirus pandemic. The meeting on Thursday was held at the state secretariat in West Bengal to discuss ways to tackle the possible third wave of COVID-19. 


In her recent visit to Delhi and meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Banerjee reportedly asked for more COVID vaccines for the state. 


Meanwhile, on the decision to reopen schools in the state, West Bengal CM Banerjee said her government is mulling reopening schools and colleges on alternate days after the Durga Puja vacation in November. "However, nothing has been finalised just yet," PTI quoted her as saying. 


Bengal closed the education institutions since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in March last year. 


(With agency inputs)


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