Rs 10 lakh grant to villages that achieve 100 vaccination: Punjab CM Amarinder Singh

The CM appealed the sarpanches and panches to motivate people to get tested even if they experience mild symptoms of the infection.

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Chandigarh: In a bid to curb vaccine hesitancy among people in the rural areas, Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Tuesday (May 18) announced a special development grant of Rs 10 lakh to villages that achieve 100 vaccination.

In a virtual interaction with 2,000 heads and members across over 4,000 locations, Singh asked them to lead the vaccination drive in their respective areas.

He appealed the sarpanches and panches to motivate people to get tested even if they experience mild symptoms of the infection.

The chief minister asked the sarpanches to utilise up to Rs 5,000 per day from panchayat funds to provide treatment to the people affected by COVID, IANS reported.

He further urged the village heads to spread awareness about the coronavirus through specialised campaigns, so that people actively participate in the vaccination process.

He asked the panchayats to organize special medical camps and to rope in the services of ex-servicemen.

He asked the sarpanches and panches to start ‘theekri pehra’ or community policing in their villages to prevent infected persons from coming in, and also distribute ‘Fateh Kits’ to every person who tests positive.

He urged people to immediately quarantine themselves in case of any symptoms, and get themselves tested to ensure early detection of the infection.

He said that the state has an extensive healthcare network with 2,046 health and wellness centres. He added 800 such centres will soon be made functional.

He urged the panches and sarpanches to avail the healthcare services at these centres for the treatment of villagers infected with corona.

The Chief Minister asserted that the state was making all-out efforts to procure sufficient stocks of vaccine from various sources for inoculation of 18 plus age group, besides constantly pursuing with Centre for more vaccine doses for its population of above 45 years.