On Friday, in the largest of the seven phases, 166 million voters in 102 constituencies across 21 states and territories will vote
Free vaccines, food to cost India an additional $11b
India will need to spend an additional 800 billion rupees ($11 billion) to provide free vaccines and food to millions of people devastated by a deadly wave of coronavirus infections, Bloomberg News said on Tuesday.
Published : 8 June 2021, 08:28 AM
Updated : 8 June 2021, 08:28 AM
The government of the world's second most populous nation will earmark an additional 700 billion rupees to provide food until November to the poor and other eligible groups, it said, citing people familiar with the matter.
The government may not have to tap the bond market for the funds, the sources said, citing a dividend of 991.2 billion rupees it received from the central bank and inflows expected from asset sales.
India will provide the free vaccines to all adults, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Monday after markets closed, in a bid to rein in a pandemic that has killed hundreds of thousands.
RELATED STORIES
Thousands of civilians and hundreds of troops from Myanmar have fled to India after the February 2021 military coup against Aung San Suu Kyi's elected civilian government
Rebels who fought against junta troops in Myawaddy described a demoralised military that was unwilling to hold its ground
Although Manipur and some other regions will be the first to vote in the seven-phase election starting on Friday, campaign meetings are being held behind closed doors because of a fear of violence
