All Maharashtra Congress MLAs will be donating one month salary to the Chief Minister relief fund as a commitment to the free vaccination decision taken by the State government.
Announcing the decision, Congress legislative party leader and State’s Revenue Minister Balasaheb Thorat on Thursday said that he will be donating his one year salary for the fund. In addition, ₹5 lakh on behalf of Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) will be donated, he said.
“Maha Vikas Aghadi government has taken an important decision to provide free vaccination to all the citizens of the State, even though the State is facing financial difficulties due to the COVID-19 crisis. It is our humble attempt to help the State government by making meagre financial donations to the relief fund,” said Mr. Thorat. This will amount to nearly ₹2 crore.
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Mr. Thorat will also be donating vaccination expenses of all the employees of the Amrut group of industries in his Assembly constituency Sangamner to the CM relief fund.
“Many vaccination campaigns were carried out during the Congress rule at the Centre, and it is well known that we did not worry about the loss or profit and gave free vaccination to the people by prioritising their health. But the Narendra Modi government at the Centre is running away from its responsibility and even in such difficult times, it has passed the responsibility of vaccinations onto the State governments,” said Mr. Thorat.
He added that many States are facing financial difficulties as industries, trades and commercial establishments are closed due to restrictions imposed to prevent the spread of the infection. “Far from helping the States in such a situation, the Central government has not even paid the rightful dues of the States,” he said.
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Party’s youth organisation led by Satyajit Tambe too has appealed to the citizens who can bear the cost of vaccination to deposit the amount of vaccine in the CM relief fund.