Kolkata: The West Bengal government is issuing certificates of COVID-19 vaccination to the people in the age group of 18-44 sponsored by the state with the photograph of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.
An official said Saturday this is being done since the state government has been procuring vaccines directly from the manufacturers from its own resources.
While beneficiaries of 45 plus are getting certificates of vaccination with the photograph of Prime Minister Narendra Modi as in other parts of the country, but those falling in the 18-44 age bracket have photographs of Mamata Banerjee.
”The government has started procuring vaccines directly from the manufacturers and arranging for inoculating the population. That is the reason it has been decided to use photograph of the CM on the certificates,” a senior state official told PTI on condition of anonymity.
When contacted, state minister for Housing and outgoing Mayor of the city Firhad Hakim, who is also the chairman of the Kolkata Municipal Corporation board of administrator, justified the practice, saying since the Centre was not vaccinating 18-44 years of the population and the state is spending money for it, then there will be photograph of the CM.
”All information regarding inoculation is there on the certificate. Starting from the batch number of the vaccine, there is also CoWIN Registration number. Besides, a special message of the CM,” Hakim said.
