Vaccine, when ready, will be made available free of cost to people of Madhya Pradesh: CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan

The announcement came after Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), in its poll manifesto for Bihar elections, said it would provide a free vaccine if it retains power, after which Tamil Nadu followed suit.

“The process for development of a vaccine n India is on at a rapid pace. Once a vaccine is ready, the vaccine will be made available free of cost to everyone in Madhya Pradesh,” Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan tweeted, adding that the state administration has taken a number of steps to protect the people from the disease.

“Today it (the pandemic) is completely in control,” Chouhan said.

Earlier, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister K Palaniswami had assured free immunisation against coronavirus for all sections of people in the state as soon as a vaccine is made available.

“I would like to announce that as soon as the vaccine is developed (and made available to states) all people in Tamil Nadu will be immunised and the government shall bear the cost,” he said during an official visit.

Palaniswami’s announcement had come hours after the BJP, in its poll manifesto, said a vaccine would be provided free of cost to the people of Bihar, prompting criticism from the Opposition.

Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan has last week said India is expected to have a COVID-19 vaccine in a few months and the country should be in the process of delivering it to people in the next six months.