The country needs one comprehensive policy and strategy for fighting the Covid-19 pandemic. “Today Maharashtra is under lockdown, but other States are not and people continue to travel between the States. At a national level, some States have a lockdown and others do not have. A pandemic cannot be fought in such a manner,” said Maharashtra’s Minister for Skill Development, Nawab Malik on Monday.

Malik, who is a senior leader of the Nationalist Congress Party told BusinessLine in places such as Uttar Pradesh, the administration is talking about vaccinating only the locals and not the migrants. How can such a policy exist? He asked.

He demanded that the Narendra Modi-led government convene an all-party meeting for formulating a policy. The pandemic cannot be fought only through advertisements at a time when there is a need for a uniform policy, he said,

Malik also referred to the constitution of a 12-member National Task Force of top medical experts by the Supreme Court to formulate a methodology for oxygen allocation to States and Union Territories and to facilitate a public health response to the pandemic. He said that the Centre is not carrying out works which it is supposed to be doing. This work is being carried out by court orders. It means the Central Government is falling and not discharging its duty properly.

On the other hand, the senior NCP leader alleged that the process of vaccination is also not happening properly as the Co-Win app is malfunctioning. Therefore, the task of scheduling the vaccinations should be handed over to the State governments.

He added that State government could use an app, which will not replace the Centre’s advertisements but at least the people will get vaccinated with ease.

With agency inputs.

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