The Congress on Tuesday asked the central government to announce a complete roadmap for vaccinating 100 crore citizens by December this year, arguing that over 80 lakh doses will be required to be administered everyday in place of the May average of 16 lakh per day to achieve the target.

Responding to the government’s claim that the vaccination drive will be completed by December 31 this year, the Congress said Prime Minister Narendra Modi did not explain how that target would be achieved while announcing the revised policy on Monday.

The party had said on Monday that the exercise to cover 100 crore people will be completed only in May 2024 at the current speed of vaccination.

Former Union minister Jairam Ramesh said on Tuesday: “In April, the daily average doses given was 30 lakh. In May, it has come down to 16 lakh. If we have to vaccinate 100 crore people by December 31, we have to give 80 lakh doses every day over the next six months.

“Manmohan Singh had asked for spelling out the roadmap on April 18. The Prime Minister and the health minister should convince the people that target is achievable.”

Ramesh said: “The priority today is vaccine, nothing else. The country has suffered because the government failed to procure enough vaccines. No country in the world was procuring vaccines the way we did. Now we have no option but to complete vaccination this year.

“Despite knowing that the Centre alone is in a position to procure vaccine, the Prime Minister is blaming the states, Opposition and others. He handled the issues with lack of honesty and humility, with hubris and irresponsibility.”

Confronting the Prime Minister for shifting the blame to states, Ramesh added: “No state would have objected if the Centre said we will procure all the vaccines and distribute it among the states. That was the way. Even in the economic sense, the Centre was better placed to bargain for the best price. The states were only following the policy decided by the Centre. Let the government present the minutes of the meeting showing chief ministers asking for procurement to the Supreme Court.”

Ramesh asserted that the country could have been saved from unprecedented miseries if Modi conceded the suggestions made by the Congress and the joint Opposition.

“Modi should have discussed the issue with states, with Opposition parties, he could have called the former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. It has to be a national effort, we have to do it collectively,” he added.

While Singh suggested ways for ramping up production as early as April 18, the joint Opposition unambiguously demanded free universal vaccination on May 2 and May 12. The Prime Minister didn’t respond.

Rahul Gandhi demanded free vaccine for all at least eight times in the last two months. Several chief ministers wrote to Modi, explaining resource crunch and stressing that the Centre alone had the wherewithal to fund such a massive vaccination drive.