PM Modi Calls For Mass Vaccination, 4-Day "Tika Utsav" Starts Today

The drive is taking place amid states like Punjab, Rajasthan and Maharashtra warning about fast-depleting coronavirus vaccine stocks.

A 'Tika Utsav' or vaccine festival is being organised in the country from today to inoculate maximum number of eligible people against the coronavirus amid a worrying surge in cases. The mass vaccination programme - which will be conducted from April 11-14 - is being held following Prime Minister Narendra Modi's appeal to the chief ministers of all states and union territories during a meeting over the coronavirus situation. Several states such as Uttar Pradesh and Bihar have ramped up their efforts to double inoculations and have appealed people to get themselves vaccinated during the four-day programme. In Uttar Pradesh, the Tika Utsav will start with 6,000 vaccination centres in the state. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath along with the Governor will take part in the Webinars on vaccination on all the days of the drive. Neighbouring Bihar is likely to vaccinate four lakh people during Tika Utsav, according to Chief Minister Nitish Kumar. Mr Kumar has also appealed to the people to come forward for vaccination to contain the corona pandemic.