New policy will provide speed to vaccination against Covid-19: ASSOCHAM after PM speech

"Prime Minister’s address to the nation has provided a clear direction to India's vaccination programme with an avowed objective of providing free jabs to all adults, while providing a window for those willing to pay through private sector hospitals. The revised policy would remove all procedural bottlenecks for availability of vaccines to the states," ASSOCHAM Secretary General  Deepak Sood said.

He said the extension of the Pradhan Mantri Ann Kalyan Yojana, providing free ration to 800 million people till Diwali would instil a great sense of food security to the economically weaker sections of the society.

"The decision should also help return of migrant workers back to cities as the case loads of coronavirus has reduced considerably and the process of unlocking has begun in several states".

Sood said the Prime Minister should be complimented for continuing to utilise services of the private sector hospitals in procurement and administration of vaccine doses within the overall guidelines. "The window has proved to be of help to the corporates to get their work force vaccinated to enable resumption of businesses".

Sood said, the ASSOCHAM would continue to work with the government in ensuring that the Indian economy gets re-booted at the earliest with full safety of the people.