'Unaware Of Govt's Efforts': Gadkari Clarifies Vaccine Ramp-Up Suggestion After Congress Slams Centre

Gadkari, who offered his suggestions while participating at the conference organised by the Swadeshi Jagaran Manch, in a tweet said he was unaware that Minister of State For Chemicials and Fertilizers Mansukh Mandaviya had before his speech explained the government’s efforts to ramp up vaccine production.

New Delhi: A day after he stated that the government should give licences to more companies to manufacture Covid-19 vaccines, Union Road, Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari on Wednesday issued a clarification stating he was unaware that the government already spelt out the vaccination ramp-up plan in which different vaccine makers are being invited to boost manufacturing.

Gadkari, who offered his suggestions while participating at the conference organised by the Swadeshi Jagaran Manch, in a tweet said he was unaware that Minister of State For Chemicials and Fertilizers Mansukh Mandaviya had before his speech explained the government’s efforts to ramp up vaccine production.

“Yesterday while participating at the conference organised by Swadeshi Jagaran Manch, I had made a suggestion to ramp up vaccine production. I was unaware that before my speech Minister for Chemical & Fertilizers Shri @mansukhmandviya had explained government’s efforts to ramp up,” Gadkari wrote on the micro-blogging platform.

“...vaccine production. After conference, he also informed me that, GoI is already facilitating vaccine manufacturing by 12 different plants/companies and rapid ramp up of production is expected in near future as a result of these efforts,” he said in a series of tweets.

The senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader also expressed his delight over the efforts initiated by the Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers in the “right direction”.

“I was unaware that his ministry has started these efforts before I had given suggestion yesterday. I am glad and congratulate he and his team for this timely intervention in the right direction. I feel important to put this on record,” he tweeted.

The clarification came as senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh took a jibe at Prime Minister Narendra over Gadkari’s remarks and said this suggestion was given by former prime minister Dr Manmohan Singh.

“But is his Boss listening? This is what Dr. Manmohan Singh had suggested on April 18^th,” he tweeted while referring to Dr Singh’s letter to Prime Minister Modi on the Covid-19 situation in the country earlier in April.

Dr Singh had in his letter asked Prime Minister Modi to make public details of the orders placed by the Centre for Covid vaccine doses and indicate the strategy for them to be distributed in a transparent manner.