Supreme Court Hearing On Suo Motu COVID Case: LIVE UPDATES

Gupta: Those of us who have availed of it say that COWIN has worked well and vaccination has worked well. All the trouble that you are looking at is after 1 May. 18 to 44 will have a problem if they can’t get it for free. They must not have a different vaccination experience.

Gupta: This is why it should be laid down so that recalcitrant states can’t come up and say this.

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SG: Only two States have experienced.

Gupta: The policy document doesn’t say how they will distribute or redistribute. No State should be able to come up and say this.

SG: Second part may not be possible.

Gupta: There is power in the policy that Centre may redistribute it amongst States. They are saying they will distribute. There is not a single thing laid down on this. We see States fighting amongst themselves.

SG: You May not labour on this. This is factually wrong.

Gupta: There are many elderly who can’t move around without a caregiver. If the caregiver falls ill, they will fall ill. It will be very difficult to do this within the confines of COWIN. For these individual classification, we will have to do something.

Gupta: There are school teachers. This is a vulnerable category from the point of view of their work.

Justice Bhat: Even caregivers are there.

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Gupta: I have found that those who work at crematoriums, they’re not considered as frontline. In interviews they’ve stated that they are not treated as healthcare workers.

SG: They are. I will file an affidavit.

Justice Rao: On the aspect of distribution being on the basis of comorbodities, don’t you think the Centre should tweak its policy on the basis of this ? The scientific way would be to identify the vulnerable in an age group.

Gupta: Now it had been stated on affidavit that it will be distributed pro rata to the States from@the manufacture. This is a statement on affidavit. Two reports have subsequently come to the press saying that Centre will not interfere in the vaccination policy for the State.

Gupta: I am saying this from point of view of a citizen. The citizen should be able to go to court and say that they’re not getting the free vaccine.

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