News Analysis India

Tag: Arvind Kejriwal

  • Pfizer vaccine should be procured as soon as possible to vaccinate children: Kejriwal

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday sought procurement of Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine as soon as possible to inoculate children.

    This comes after the US pharma company sought fast-track approval for its jab in India.

    The US major has told Indian authorities that its vaccine is suitable for everyone aged 12 years or above and can be stored for a month at 2-8 degrees, sources had said.

    “We shud procure this vaccine asap for our children,” Kejriwal tweeted, citing a news story on fast-track approval sought by the company.

    The Delhi chief minister has been requesting the Central government to explore suitable vaccine options, citing opinion of experts that a possible third wave of COVID-19 in coming months may affect children.

    The Delhi government has also suggested the Centre to vaccinate students and teachers if it decides to conduct class 12 Board exams delayed due to the second wave of the virus.

    Pfizer, which has offered 5 crore doses to India between July and October, recently held a series of interactions with Indian government authorities.

    It has shared with authorities the most recent data points regarding efficacy trials and approvals for its vaccine in various countries and by the World Health Organisation (WHO).

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  • Vaccination for 18-44 age group halted in Delhi; Kejriwal writes to PM for immediate supply of jabs

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: The inoculation drive for the 18-44 age group came to a halt in Delhi on Saturday due to a shortage of vaccines, with Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal saying it will take 30 months to vaccinate people in this category here if the supply crisis continues.

    The chief minister also wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, requesting him to ensure immediate supply of jabs and increase the quota for Delhi.

    As the country faces a shortage of vaccine, Kejriwal gave four suggestions to Modi, including procurement of vaccines from foreign manufacturers and inviting firms for production in India.

    In an online press conference, Kejriwal said that from Sunday, all vaccination centres for youths in Delhi will be closed as stocks have run out.

    Delhi requires 80 lakh doses a month to vaccinate people in three months.

    But it only received 16 lakh doses in May and the Centre has further decreased Delhi’s quota in June to 8 lakh doses, Kejriwal said.

    So far, 50 lakh people have been vaccinated in Delhi.

    Further, 2.5 crore more doses are required to vaccinate all adults in Delhi, he said.

    “With this speed of 8 lakh doses per month, it will take 30 months to vaccinate all the adults alone. By then, no one knows how many waves will arrive and how many deaths will occur,” Kejriwal said, urging the prime minister to raise the quota and supply to the city immediately.

    Releasing the Delhi’s vaccination bulletin, AAP MLA Atishi said that all centres administering vaccines to the 18-44 age group will be temporarily shut after Saturday due to the shortage.

    “After today, the entire vaccination programme for this group will be temporarily stopped in government schools,” she said.

    According to the government, 50, 20,214 doses have been administered to people in Delhi, which proves that a large population has been inoculated because of the high speed vaccination programme.

    “Nearly 88 sites administering Covishield to 18-44 will be shut after today. Humble appeal to the centre to facilitate vaccines at the earliest to Delhi, they should allow manufacturers to supply more vaccines to Delhi.”

    “Nearly 670 centres are operational in 499 locations for 45 plus age group category, healthcare, frontline workers. For 45+, healthcare/frontline workers, Covaxin’s stock is left for less than one day, and Covishield’s stock will last for 8 days,” AAP MLA Atishi said.

    During the online media briefing on Saturday, Kejriwal said the Central government should within 24 hours direct all capable companies in the country to start manufacturing Covaxin as Bharat Biotech has agreed to share its formula.

    Vaccines manufactured abroad should be used in India and the Centre needs to procure vaccines on the behalf of states as it will be more effective in bulk procurement, Kejriwal said.

    Foreign companies should be allowed to manufacture vaccines in India and the Centre should try to get vaccines from such countries that have stocks of more doses than their need, he suggested.

    Vaccination of maximum number of people in the shortest time is the only way to save Delhi and the country from the third wave of coronavirus, Kejriwal asserted.

    “We are arranging beds, oxygen and medicines, but vaccine is the most effective weapon of protection against the fatal virus.”

    The shortage of vaccine is not just a matter of worry for the governments, but common people are also scared due to this crisis, he claimed.

    It has caused a very difficult situation in the country, Kejriwal said and narrated a call he had received from an elderly mother who requested vaccine for his son foregoing the jab herself, saying he needed it more than her because he had a job to take care of the family.

    “I was deeply pained hearing this. There could be nothing more painful than this ”dharmsankat” (dilemma) before a father, mother, brother or sister — whether to have the vaccine or give it up for a younger member in the family,” he said.

    Kejriwal said it was a matter of relief that that the speed of coronavirus spread has slowed down significantly in Delhi, but cautioned that it did not mean the threat was averted and emphasised on maintaining all the precautions.

    On Saturday, Delhi recorded 2,260 fresh COVID-19 cases and 182 fatalities on Saturday, with the positivity rate in the city slipping to 3.58 per cent.

    This is the lowest daily spike in cases recorded since March 31 (1,819) and the first time that the count has gone below the 3,000-mark since April 1, when 2,790 people tested positive for the viral disease.

  • Delhi CM doesn’t speak for India: Centre after Singapore objects to Kejriwal’s claim of ‘new Covid strain’

    By Online Desk
    A day after Singapore Health Ministry objected Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s claim of a Singapore variant of Covid-19 strain, the External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Wednesday said ‘Delhi CM does not speak for India.’

    The Union Minister, while condeming Kejriwal’s comments said, “Singapore and India have been solid partners in the fight against Covid-19. However, irresponsible comments from those who should know better can damage long-standing partnerships”

    Singapore and India have been solid partners in the fight against Covid-19.Appreciate Singapore’s role as a logistics hub and oxygen supplier. Their gesture of deploying military aircraft to help us speaks of our exceptional relationship. @VivianBala https://t.co/x7jcmoyQ5a
    — Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) May 19, 2021

    Asserting that the Delhi Chief Minister had no competence to pronounce on Covid variants or civil aviation policy, MEA Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said, “Singapore Government called in our High Commissioner today to convey strong objection to Delhi CM’s tweet on “Singapore variant”.

    On May 18 Arvind Kejriwal tweeted that a “new Covid strain found in Singapore is dangerous for children. It could come to India in the form of a third wave.” 

    “My appeal to the Central government: 1. Cancel all air services with Singapore with immediate effect 2. Work on vaccine alternatives for children on a priority basis,” Kejriwal further added.

    In its reaction, the Singapore health ministry said there was is no truth in the claim.

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    (Inputs from ENS)

  • Delhi’s positivity rate dips to 12 pc, 8,500 COVID-19 cases reported in last 24 hrs: CM Arvind Kejriwal

    Arvind Kejriwal on Friday said that around 8,500 new COVID19 cases have been reported in Delhi and the positivity rate has come down to 12% in the last 24 hours.

    He said that ICU beds are still occupied, which means number of serious COVID-19 patients has not reduced.

    He further said that 1,200 ICU beds are ready, will be operational either by today or tomorrow.

    We are setting up new oxygen beds and buying oxygen cylinders so that when cases rise we are not found lacking,” he said.

    “We will bear cost of education and other expenses of those children who were orphaned by COVID-19 pandemic.”

    “Delhi govt will extend all help to families which have lost earning members to COVID-19.”

  • States fighting with one another for vaccines portrays bad image of country: Kejriwal

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday said the fact that the states are left to competing and fighting with one another in the international market for COVID vaccines portrays a “bad” image of India.

    The Centre should procure the vaccines on behalf of the states, he said in the backdrop of a shortage of the vaccine doses in Delhi and many other states.

    “Indian states left to compete/fight with each other in international market. UP fighting Maha, Maha fighting Orissa, Orissa fighting Delhi. Where is ‘India’? Portrays such a bad image of India. India, as one country, shud procure vaccines on behalf of all Indian states (sic),” the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) supremo said in a tweet.

    In another tweet, he said India approaching the vaccine-manufacturing countries will have much more bargaining power rather than the states doing it individually.

    The Indian government has much more diplomatic space to negotiate with such countries, the chief minister added.

    His deputy Manish Sisodia had earlier said Delhi will float a global tender for vaccines, while accusing the BJP-led Centre of forcing the states to do so.

    Around 100 vaccination centres have been closed down in Delhi as they ran out of their Covaxin stocks.

    Sisodia alleged on Wednesday that Bharat Biotech, which manufactures Covaxin, has refused to provide “additional” doses of the vaccine to Delhi under instructions from officials of the central government.

    The city government had placed orders for 67 lakh doses of Covishield and Covaxin each on April 26, he said.

  • More than 72 lakh ration card holders to get free ration for 2 months; Arvind Kejriwal says that autorickshaw, taxi drivers will be given 5000 rupees

    Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday said that all all ration card holders in Delhi, around 72 lakhs in number, will be given free ration for the next 2 months.

    He said that this is being done to help the poor who is going through financial issue. He also said that giving free ration doesn’t mean that lockdown will continue for 2 months.

    “We have decided that all ration card holders in Delhi, around 72 lakhs in number, will be given free ration for the next 2 months. It doesn’t mean that the lockdown will continue for 2 months. It is just being done to help the poor going through financial issues,” he said.

    He also said that all autorickshaw drivers and taxi drivers in Delhi will be given Rs 5000 each by Delhi govt so that they get a little help during this financial crisis.

    “All autorickshaw drivers and taxi drivers in Delhi will be given Rs 5000 each by Delhi govt so that they get a little help during this financial crisis.”

  • COVID: Kejriwal chairs meeting to increase O2 beds, strengthen home isolation system

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal chaired a meeting on Wednesday to chalk out a plan for increasing the number of oxygen beds and strengthening the home isolation system in the national capital, following a sharp rise in COVID-19 cases and deaths.

    “Convened a meeting with the officials. Discussed the plan to increase oxygen beds in the coming days, and strengthen home isolation system in Delhi. Please take all precautions and stay safe,” Kejriwal said in a tweet.

    Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, Health Minister Satyendar Jain, the additional chief secretary and the health secretary were also present at the meeting, along with health officials.

    “We are noticing that this new strain of the coronavirus is quite dangerous and often leads to respiratory and breathing issues.

    It has become very important to provide beds to every patient who needs oxygen.

    We have to expedite the process to add more ICU and oxygen beds in the coming weeks,” Kejriwal said at the meeting.

    “We have to further strengthen our home isolation system. Every patient who is recovering from COVID-19 under home isolation should receive regular calls from Delhi government doctors and an oximeter. We have to monitor the daily condition of every patient recovering from the disease in home isolation,” he added.

    Delhi logged a record 381 COVID-19 deaths on Tuesday, while the positivity rate stood at 32.72 per cent.

    This was the sixth day on the trot that the national capital recorded over 300 deaths due to the coronavirus.

    It had reported 380 deaths on Monday, 350 on Sunday, 357 on Saturday, 348 on Friday and 306 last Thursday, according to government data.

    The national capital had recorded 24,149 cases on Tuesday, 20,201 on Monday, 22,933 on Sunday, 24,103 on Saturday, 24,331 on Friday, 26,169 last Thursday and 24,638 last Wednesday.

    The positivity rate was 32.72 per cent on Tuesday, 35.02 per cent on Monday, 30.21 per cent on Sunday, 32.27 per cent on Saturday, 32.43 per cent on Friday, 36.24 per cent last Thursday — the highest so far — 31.28 per cent last Wednesday and 32.82 per cent last Tuesday.

    The exponential rise in the cases has left people scrambling for oxygen and ICU beds in hospitals.

    Every few hours last week, hospitals across the national capital and its suburbs sent out desperate messages for help on social media and other platforms, flagging their dwindling stocks of oxygen.

    A few of the healthcare facilities also had to knock the doors of the Delhi High Court to seek respite on the issue.

    Kejriwal on Tuesday announced that his government will import 18 cryogenic tankers from Thailand and 21 ready-to-use oxygen plants from France.

    Within a month, the Delhi government will set up 44 oxygen plants at various hospitals, including 21 that will be imported from France.

    The Centre will install eight oxygen plants by April 30, the chief minister had said.

    The Delhi government will add 1,200 ICU beds by May 10, including 500 each associated with the LNJP and GTB hospitals and 200 at the Radha Soami Satsang Beas COVID centre, he had said.

  • PM Modi chides Delhi CM Kejriwal for ‘violating’ protocol at meet

    By Express News Service
    NEW DELHI:  Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal’s televised comments during the interaction with PM Narendra Modi and other chief ministers on Friday regarding the pandemic situation and acute oxygen crisis in hospitals has triggered a controversy, with the Union government officials accusing him of “playing politics”.

    The visibly upset PM chided Kejriwal for “breaking protocol”. As Kejriwal spoke about the acute oxygen crisis in hospitals in the national capital and called for a national plan to deal with the pandemic during Modi’s interaction with chief ministers of 11 states and Union Territories, PMO officials said they were surprised to find that the Delhi leader had provided a live feed of his comments to news channels. 

    Kejriwal lamented restrictions on the movement of oxygen tankers by the neighbouring states even while the hospitals in the national capital have been sending the “SOS” amid fast eroding stock of the medical-grade oxygen. He sought that the Army and the paramilitary personnel be pressed into action to ease the oxygen crisis in the national capital.

    The PM also expressed his displeasure during the interaction over the issue, saying “this is strictly against our tradition, our protocol… that some Chief Minister is showing a live telecast of an in-house meeting.”“This is not appropriate.

    One should always maintain restraint,” Modi said, prompting a defensive Kejriwal to say that he will keep this in mind in future and offered an apology in case he had made a “mistake or spoken harshly”. However, the live streaming of his remarks continued. The CMO said there had been no written communication on the protocol for the conference with the PMO. “However, if any inconvenience was caused we highly regret that,” it said.

    5 die as MP hospital runs out of oxygen

    Bhopal:  Five coronavirus patients admitted to the ICU of a private hospital in Jabalpur died allegedly after its oxygen supply ran out, prompting the authorities to order a probe. The incident which took place on the intervening night of Thursday and Friday at Galaxy Hospital came amid a grave medical oxygen shortage crisis in many parts of the country. Pravin Pandey, the relative of one of the deceased patients, alleged that all five deaths happened due to shortage of oxygen at around 3 am. “Hospital sources only told us that the patients died due to oxygen shortage,” he said. Health department sources said a probe has been ordered into the incident.

  • Kejriwal’s televised comments during meeting with PM draws Centre’s ire 

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s televised comments during the interaction with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday regarding pandemic situation in the national capital and acute oxygen crisis in hospitals has triggered a row, with the Union government officials accusing him of “playing politics”.

    The officials also accused him of descending to a “new low” with his decision to broadcast the “private conversation” of the meeting.

    “His entire speech was not meant for any solution but for playing politics and evading responsibility. All chief ministers spoke about what they are doing to improve the situation but he had nothing to say on what he is doing,” a source said, suggesting that his remarks, which were made public, have not gone down well with the central government.

    “He (Kejriwal) raised the point of airlifting oxygen, but did not know that it is already being done. He spoke about oxygen express by the railways but railway officials say that he has not communicated anything about it to the ministry,” the Central government source said.

    Responding to the sharp reaction of the Union government officials, the chief minister’s office (CMO) issued a brief statement, saying “today, the CM address was shared live because there has never been any instruction, written or verbal, from central govt that the said interaction could not be shared live.

    “There have been multiple occasions of similar interactions where matters of public importance which had no confidential information were shared live. However, if any inconvenience was caused we highly regret that.”

    During the meeting, Kejriwal said the Centre should take over all oxygen plants through the Army and requested Modi to direct chief ministers of all states to ensure smooth movement of oxygen tankers coming to the national capital.

      “People in major pain due to oxygen shortage.

    We fear a big tragedy may happen due to oxygen shortage and we will never be able to forgive ourselves.

    I request you with folded hands to direct all CMs to ensure smooth movement of oxygen tankers coming to Delhi,” he said during the meeting.

      “We need a national plan to deal with the crisis.

    The Central government should take over all oxygen plants through the Army and every tanker coming out of the oxygen plant should be accompanied by an Army escort vehicle,” he said.

      “The oxygen supply scheduled to come to Delhi from Odisha and West Bengal should either be airlifted or brought through the Oxygen express started by the Centre,” he said.

       The chief minister also objected to different rates being charged from state governments and the Centre for the COVID-19 vaccine, and said “one nation, one rate” policy should be followed.

      Union government sources alleged that Kejriwal has chosen to spread lies on vaccine prices despite knowing that the Centre does not keep one vaccine dose with itself and shares with states only.

    Modi held a meeting on Friday with chief ministers of 10 states with the most number of COVID-19 cases.

     The meeting via video conferencing comes amid a huge surge in coronavirus cases, which have now clocked a daily total of over 3 lakh in the country.

       Apart from Delhi, Chief ministers of Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Kerala, Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh are among those who attended the meeting.

    Modi also held a meeting with leading oxygen manufacturers in the country via video conference amid concerns expressed by some states that their supply of the life-saving gas is running short with a number of hospitals, including many in the  national capital, sending out SOS for immediate supply.

      Central government sources also noted that it has done a lot to boost health infra in the national capital, and referred to the DRDO facility with 500 ICU beds, which has been funded from the PM CARES Fund.

    The home ministry has also ordered medical manpower for re-activating Sardar Patel COVID Care Centre (SPCCC) at Chhattarpur, they said, adding that this caters to 500 oxygenated beds.

    Bed capacity in the central government-run hospitals has been increased from 1090 to 3800, they said.

    The per day oxygen allocation to Delhi has been increased from 378 MT to 480 MT, they said, adding that the movement of allocated oxygen supplies is being monitored on a real time basis.

     

  • AAP can fulfil dream of late CM Manohar Parrikar for Goa, says Manish Sisodia

    By PTI
    PANAJI: Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia Sunday said the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) can fulfil the dream of former Goa chief minister Manohar Parrikar for the development of the coastal state.

    Addressing AAP workers in Panaji via a video link, Sisodia said, “the current government has buried the vision of development that was nurtured by Manohar Parrikar for Goa after his death”.

    He alleged that those members of the BJP who believed in Parrikar’s ideology are being “insulted and sidelined” in that party.

    “I am appealing to all the BJP workers who were with Parrikar to join us and we will fulfil his dream. We (AAP) have the power to fulfil the dream of Parrikar. The vision of Parrikar need to be realised,” Sisodia said.

    He said the people of Goa are upset with the ruling BJP as well as the opposition Congress over their “corrupt politics”, and are looking at the AAP as the able alternative.

    He said the AAP is seeing a steady rise in its vote share across all the 40 constituencies in Goa.

    “We bagged 15 per cent votes during Zilla Panchayat elections held recently,” he said.

    Sisodia said members of some other political parties have also pinned their hopes on the AAP.

    Targetting the BJP, Sisodia said irrespective of outcome of elections, it is the BJP that invariably forms govermnet in Goa.

    “Where does this money to buy MLAs come from? It is the same money, if spent honestly, would have ensured completion of many projects and made it possible to provide electricity at subsidised rates in Goa,” he said expressing hope that the party will win the 2022 Assembly elections in Goa.