Bengaluru, Jun 24 (IANS): Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister C.N. Ashwath Narayan on Wednesday announced a new vaccination drive 'Marali Collegige (Back to College)' that proposes to administer anti-Covid jabs to all college-going students before end of July.

On the sidelines of the launch of 2,500 smart class rooms and free distribution of tablet PCs to 1.55 lakh college students across the state, Narayan who is also chairman of the state Covid-19 Task Force, told reporters that the primary concern had always been providing safe environment to students and their parents to resume functioning of colleges in the state.

"Hence, we have come up with a plan after much deliberations with academic as well as health experts that ongoing vaccination drive will have be accelerated, focussing on vaccinating teaching as well as all staff who work in educational institutions besides every student must be inoculated before second or third week of July, so that we can give go ahead signal to institutions to resume their operations soon," said the Deputy Chief Minister who holds higher education portfolio.

He said that the state government will soon launch the 'Marali Collegige (Back to College)' to speed up the ongoing vaccination drive.

The Deputy Chief Minister said that the 13-member expert committee headed by noted cardiac surgeon, Dr Devi Prasad Shetty too, has recommended that staggered reopening of institutions and strongly recommended speeding up the ongoing vaccination drive focussing on students, teachers and allied staff members of every educational institution.

He said that vaccination for all those aged over 18 in the state is already underway on a priority basis.