Karnataka Congress offers to get vaccine using MLA funds

The Congress’s Karnataka unit on Friday offered to procure Covid-19 vaccine worth ₹100 crore using the local area development funds of party MPs, MLAs and MLCs. “We have prepared an action plan to source vaccines at ₹100 crore directly from manufacturers and use it to inoculate people. We appeal to the Centre and the state governments to give us permission for direct procurement, since rules only allow the government, hospitals and industries to purchase the vaccine,” state Congress chief DK Shivakumar said. Shivakumar and opposition leader in the assembly Siddaramaiah jointly addressed a presser on Friday to float the party’s vaccination plans. “The procurement will be done in a transparent manner,” Shivakumar said.

It was decided at the legislature party meeting that Congress legislators will contribute ₹1 crore each from their local area development fund.