Get vaccinated against COVID-19 and win electronic appliances: Maharashtra civic body lures people

The Hingoli Municipal Council in Maharashtra has decided to lure people to get vaccinated against COVID-19 by offering them prizes like LED TVs, refrigerators, and washing machines, officials said on Thursday. Similar incentives were also announced by the Chandrapur civic body in the state earlier this month to encourage people to take the vaccine.

In the Hingoli district, located over 500 km from Mumbai, 73 percent of the eligible people have so far taken the first dose of COVID-19 vaccine and 56 percent have taken both the jabs, an official said. Considering the threat of a possible the third wave of COVID-19, Hingoli Collector Jitendra Papalkar called an emergency meeting on Wednesday and instructed the district administration officials to encourage more and more people to get vaccinated, Pandit Mhaske, the municipal council's project officer on COVID-19 duty, told PTI.

The municipal council's chief officer, Dr Ajay Kurwade, decided to organise a lucky draw on December 27 for city residents who get vaccinated between December 2 and 24, he said. "It has been decided to give an LED television set as the first prize in the lucky draw, followed by a washing machine, refrigerator, mixer grinder, and five other prizes," he said.