The Union Health Ministry has asked the Bengal government to inquire into instances of Covid-19 vaccination camps being organised allegedly by unauthorised people in some areas of Calcutta and submit a report in the next two days.

Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan has written to Hari Krishna Dwivedi, Chief Secretary of Bengal, seeking a factual report on the matter.

Bhushan referred to a letter written to Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan by Suvendu Adhikari, Leader of Opposition in Bengal, on June 25 in which attention has been drawn to the instances of Covid-19 vaccination camps being organised allegedly by unauthorised people.

It is also pointed out that in some of these camps, and notably in the Kasba locality of the Calcutta Municipal area, none of the beneficiaries have received any vaccination certificates generated from Co-WIN, giving rise to apprehensions about the genuineness of these vaccination camps, Bhushan said in his letter.

He said as per the guidelines, all vaccination sessions for Covid-19 have to be organised through the Co-WIN portal and all vaccinations too have to be recorded on Co-WIN.

Also, vaccination certificates are generated from Co-WIN after the vaccination events are successfully recorded by the vaccinators and that, these certificates are then given to the beneficiaries in digital or physical form, he said in the letter.

The Centre has also advised states from time to time that vaccination certificates must be issued to beneficiaries.

"Non-issuance of these certificates, therefore, does lead to the apprehension of 'fake' vaccination camps and also raises doubts on contents of injections delivered in such camps. Such instances, if not promptly enquired into and suitably addressed, may also lead to the possibility of their recurrence," Bhushan said.

"It is requested that the matter may be urgently enquired into and the factual position about the serious allegations raised in the letter referred to above, clarified immediately and that, suitable and strict action may be taken in the matter, if necessary. It is also requested that a factual report on the matter may be sent to this ministry in the next two days," he said.