Mamata Banerjee on Thursday wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, seeking his intervention in the process to get Covaxin approved by the World Health Organisation so that students and people, who were administered the indigenous Covid-19 vaccine, could travel abroad without any difficulty.

“However, it is learnt that Covaxin is still not approved by WHO and it is not possible to travel abroad as many countries are allowing only those people who are fully vaccinated with WHO approved vaccines,” read the chief minister’s letter.

She pointed out in her letter that a large number of students from all over the country travelled abroad every year to pursue higher studies. Many such students were vaccinated with Covaxin and they are now facing trouble to get visas of countries where they want to go for higher studies.

Moreover, people from all walks of the society need to go abroad for jobs, business and other purposes and they are also facing trouble to secure visas only because they were administered Covaxin.

“Hence, I request for your kind intervention so that an early approval is received for Covaxin from WHO and students do not face any problem. This will also benefit people travelling abroad for job, education, business and other purposes as well,” she wrote.

Sources said the problem had become critical only because there was no choice of vaccines at a majority of the vaccination centres.

“Many of those who wished to go abroad had no choice about which vaccine to take. Now, those who were given Covaxin are facing trouble. The chief minister has raised a serious issue and the Centre must solve it at the earliest,” said an official.