₹11,000 crore. When other costs, including the costs of syringes, transportation, storage distribution and physical administration, are added, the total cost may well be ₹20,000 crore in the first year.Although health is a state subject, states are under severe fiscal stress and will expect the entire cost to be borne by the Centre.
This, in my view, is appropriate, and adequate provision must be made in the budget for 2021-22 to be presented in Parliament on 1 February.Assuming funding is assured, the government has to decide on which vaccine to use, and it has to do it when the first vaccine has yet to be approved.