Chamarajanagar DC draws flak for 'no vaccination, no pension, no ration' statement

Chamarajanagar: Deputy Commissioner Dr M R Ravi on Wednesday withdrew his statement warning people of stopping ration and pension if they failed to get vaccinated for Covid-19.

In a written statement issued here, Ravi said that there was no question of denying pension and ration to people for any reason. He clarified that he did not issue any order in this regard.

Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee president D K Shivakumar took strong exception to the DC's statement. He termed it as unconstitutional and illegitimate to denying basic rights of people. He wanted to know if the government has sufficient stock of vaccines. "Did the government persuade people to take vaccine?" He said the district administration should be ashamed of itself for causing the death of 36 patients at the district hospital by failing to provide timely oxygen. He demanded an apology first from the government for these deaths before it wants to punish people for not taking vaccines. KPCC working president Dhruva Narayan demanded withdrawal of the order. He said the district is facing shortage of vaccination.

Deputy commissioner Ravi had earlier said that many people were reluctant to get vaccinated at a time when Covid-19 cases were rising in the bordering States of Kerala and Tamil Nadu. The government planned to organize a mega Covid vaccination mela from Wednesday, to vaccination more than 25,000 people.

To make the programme a success, the DC said in a statement that 'no vaccination no ration, no pension'. He said there are 2.90 lakh BPL and Antyodaya card holders; 2.20 lakh old age, handicap and other pensioners. He had said banks were instructed to pay pension to only those carrying vaccination certificate. Defending the move, the DC had said he was doing it the interest of people's health.