In Madhya Pradesh, Covid vaccination 'must' for beneficiaries at fair price shops

In order to encourage people to take the jab and achieve the target of 100% vaccination, the MP government has come up with this unique incentive

Pic courtesy: PTI

Bhopal: The Madhya Pradesh government is using different methods to achieve 100 per cent Covid-19 vaccination in the state by end of the year. In a latest move, the state`s Food and Civil Supplies Department has announced that the subsidised or free food grains at all government-run fair price shops will be given only to those who have taken both doses of the vaccines.

However, those who are not vaccinated, will be given rations only if they would agree to get vaccinated from the nearest vaccination centre. The department has also asked its employees at fair price shops to enquire the vaccination status of each beneficiary visiting the shops. They have been asked to note down names and contact number of visitors along with date of their vaccination.

"The process will have us a collective data of a particular ward or villages that who have received their first or both dose and who have not taken even single dose. It would help the health workers to reach their homes to give vaccine doses," said an official associated with Food and Civil Supplies Department.

The Shivraj government has set a deadline of December 31 to vaccinate all eligible persons. Meanwhile, the government has asked all its departments to ensure that employees and their families have taken both the doses of Covid vaccines.

For this purpose, the Co-operative Department has directed head of departments to collect report from employees if they and their family members are vaccinated or not. Civic authorities are actively raising awareness for the vaccination, especially for the second dose.

"After the first dose, the vaccination rate slumped as beneficiaries were less concerned after number of cases also witnessed a significant decline," said a health official. The government has also kick-started an outreach campaign, reaching out to the eligible population especially those who can`t reach the vaccination centres. As the per the plan, Districts Collectors are personally visiting at vaccination centres and are posting updates.

As per the official data, as of now, the state has administered 5.01 crore first doses and 2.41 crore were given their second dose. Still, the state requires well over 2.5 crore doses to achieve its 100 per cent target. There are around 5.49 crore eligible population in the state (above 18 years) for the vaccination.