Bengal Issuing Vaccine Certificate With Mamata Banerjee Photo: Report

Bengal minister Firhad Hakim said the practice was justified as the state was vaccinating the 18-44 group.

The West Bengal government is issuing certificates of COVID-19 vaccination to those in the 18-44 age group with the photograph of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. An official said Saturday this is being done since the state government has been procuring vaccines directly from the manufacturers from its own resources. However, beneficiaries from the 45-plus group are still getting certificates of vaccination with the photograph of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. "The government has started procuring vaccines directly from the manufacturers and arranging the inoculation of the population. That is the reason it has been decided to use photograph of the CM on the certificates," a senior state official told PTI on condition of anonymity.When contacted, state minister for Housing and outgoing Mayor of the city Firhad Hakim, who is also the chairman of the Kolkata Municipal Corporation board of administrators, justified the practice, saying since the Centre was not vaccinating the 18-44 group."All information regarding inoculation is there on the certificate. Starting from the batch number of the vaccine, there is also a CoWIN Registration number. Besides, a special message from the CM," Mr Hakim said.