Budget Session begins: Prez highlights vaccination success, health infra boost

New Delhi: President Ram Nath Kovind on Monday highlighted the achievements of the Modi government's mega COVID-19 vaccination drive, and noted that 150 crore doses were administered to the country's citizens in a record time.

In his address to the joint sitting of both Houses of Parliament at the start of the Budget Session, Kovind said the Rs 64,000 crore PM Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission will prepare the country for a health crisis in the future. "We have administered 150 crore doses of COVID-19 vaccines in a record time," he said. The President said more than 70 per cent beneficiaries of the vaccination drive have been administered the second dose. Flagging other achievements of the central government, he said over six crore rural households are getting tap water under 'Har Ghar Jal initiative'.

Kovind said India's agriculture exports have also crossed Rs three lakh crore. He said despite the pandemic, country's farmers produced 30 crore tonnes of food grains and 33 crore horticulture produce in 2020-21. The President said more than 11 crore farmer families received Rs 1.80 lakh crore through PM-KISAN and big changes have been seen in the farm sector. He said the Government procured more than 433 lakh metric tonnes of wheat, which benefited more than 50 lakh farmers. The session begins ahead of the crucial assembly elections in five states of Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Goa and Manipur.