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Hindu: Madurai: Monday, 26 April 2021.
The Government of India-owned integrated vaccine complex HLL Biotech Limited at Chengalpattu is yet to start commercial production after it was established in March 2012 with a capital investment of ₹594 crore, according to the reply to a question under the Right to Information Act.
Speaking to reporters here on Sunday, activist Anand Raj of Madurai said the 100% subsidiary of HLL Life Care Limited, fully owned by the Central government, had remained a non-starter. “To at least four questions, the response was like the commercialisation is yet to begin, the unit was in project stage and yet to commercialise...,” he said.
To a question on the number of employees on the roll, the response was that the unit had 157 employees, including a CEO, against the sanctioned strength of 408 and had 251 vacancies as on March 2020.
The objective of the government was welcomed because it proposed to make life-saving and cost-effective vaccines, primarily to minimise the demand-supply gap. But the time taken to issue the no-objection certificate and approvals had raised eyebrows. The public money had been wasted, with the production yet to start.
The RTI applicant, who had sought the response in March 2020 after the COVID-19 pandemic started in Tamil Nadu, said that even after the health emergency in the country, the Central government had not yet given its approval. He alleged that the delay in giving the approval could be to help private vaccine manufacturers.
Mr. Anand Raj said VCK MP Ravikumar had recently taken up the issue with the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and suggested that judicial intervention alone would help.
The Government of India-owned integrated vaccine complex HLL Biotech Limited at Chengalpattu is yet to start commercial production after it was established in March 2012 with a capital investment of ₹594 crore, according to the reply to a question under the Right to Information Act.
Speaking to reporters here on Sunday, activist Anand Raj of Madurai said the 100% subsidiary of HLL Life Care Limited, fully owned by the Central government, had remained a non-starter. “To at least four questions, the response was like the commercialisation is yet to begin, the unit was in project stage and yet to commercialise...,” he said.
To a question on the number of employees on the roll, the response was that the unit had 157 employees, including a CEO, against the sanctioned strength of 408 and had 251 vacancies as on March 2020.
The objective of the government was welcomed because it proposed to make life-saving and cost-effective vaccines, primarily to minimise the demand-supply gap. But the time taken to issue the no-objection certificate and approvals had raised eyebrows. The public money had been wasted, with the production yet to start.
The RTI applicant, who had sought the response in March 2020 after the COVID-19 pandemic started in Tamil Nadu, said that even after the health emergency in the country, the Central government had not yet given its approval. He alleged that the delay in giving the approval could be to help private vaccine manufacturers.
Mr. Anand Raj said VCK MP Ravikumar had recently taken up the issue with the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and suggested that judicial intervention alone would help.
.JPG)
.JPG)
