Mamata Banerjee asks PM Modi to provide 20 lakh vaccine doses for govt employees in Bengal

In her letter to PM, the Bengal chief minister said people employed in priority sectors have been "forced to face people, to mingle with public for discharge of their duties" and they need to vaccinated "without any further delay".

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi urging him to provide an extra 20 lakh doses of Covid vaccines to inoculate those state and central government employees who are working as "frontline workers". In the letter, the chief minister claimed that employees like those working in railways, airports, ports, defence, banks, insurance, post and telegraph, coal and other sectors have been "forced to face people, mingle with public for discharge of their duties" and they need to be vaccinated "without any further delay". "They [government employees] are running the risk of being affected by Covid-19. It is important that they are vaccinated without delay, and irrespective of age groups," she said.