9 States to buy vaccines via global tenders

Earlier this week, both Andhra Pradesh and Telangana announced that they would be floating global tenders for vaccine procurement. Besides the two Telugu States, Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh, Odisha, Delhi, Maharashtra, Uttarakhand and Tamil Nadu have also said that they will be following the tenders route.

Many are of the opinion that States being left to compete with each other in international market portrays a bad image of India. The Aam Admi Party said that this is going to compromise the bargaining power of the country as a whole. 

The tenders route has not gone down well with commentators. Journalist Gargi Rawat has opined that the centre has left it to states to organise their own vaccines, and that no other country is going through something like this vaccines.

Taking to Twitter on Thursday, Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal wrote, “Indian states left to compete/fight with each other in international market. UP fighting Maha, Maha fighting Orissa, Orissa fighting Delhi. Where is “India”? Portrays such a bad image of India. India, as one country, shud procure vaccines on behalf of all Indian states.” 

A lot of States are expected to oppose the policy and demand for centralization.