KPCC launches vaccination programme, DK Shivakumar takes first jab

Bengaluru: Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) began the free vaccination drive for one lakh beneficiaries on Friday as state unit chief DK Shivakumar took the inaugural shot at Davangere to kick off the campaign

"Former Minister Shamanur Shivashankarappa have placed an order of worth Rs 4 crore to administer the vaccine to people of his constituency. This shows that Congress party and its leaders are committed to vaccinate people of Karnataka and protect them from Covid," Shivakumar said while talking to reporters at Davangere.

"KPCC has already requested the government let it procure the vaccine of Rs 100 crore and vaccinate everyone for free. The party representatives will use money from their MPLAD & MLA-LAD funds for these Rs 100 crore. But government has not responded to our demand despite repeated requests," he added.

"The party has already received around 10 thousand injections all of whom will be administered to people of Davangere for free," KPCC chief said asserting the drive will be taken to other parts of the state in coming days. He informed that second round 50 thousand injections of the Covishield vaccine are expected to arrive next week.

The Congress party has established vaccination center at Durgamma Mariamma Temple Davangere where people irrespective of party affiliations will be administered vaccine.

"I request everyone to take vaccination as it is the most reliable way to defeat Covid," he said.

"BJP has not made enough vaccines available to Karnataka, choosing to export them instead for their own narrow PR Gains. The consequence of this is that the health and well-being of our people has been compromised, thereby increasing the mortality rate in our State due to Covid," Shivakumar said asserting that "the Congress will not leave any stone unturned to procure and vaccinate people of Karnataka".