The Tamil Nadu government has proposed to the Centre that it is willing to take on lease the Central PSU, HLL Biotech, for Covid vaccine production, in case the latter does not want to revive it.
TN team meets Goyal
A high-level delegation from the Tamil Nadu government, led by Industries Minister T Thennarasu, on Thursday, met the Union Commere & Industry Minister Piyush Goyal and Minister of State for Chemicals and Fertilisers Mansukh Mandaviya, to explore the possibility of reviving the Integrated Vaccine Complex of HLL Biotech, located in Chengalpattu.
The TN team, which also included TR Baalu, DMK leader in the Lok Sabha, told the Ministers that the unit should be revived immediately by the Centre and, if it cannot, it should allow the State to take the facility on lease so that vaccine production could start at the earliest. According to them, funds worth ₹300 crore would be required to start production.
Health Minister Harsh Vardhan, under whose Ministry HLL Biotech falls, however, could not attend the meeting due to his preoccupation with the World Health Assembly meeting.
Tender floated
During the meeting here, which lasted for 30 minutes, the Central Ministers assured the TN team that they would get back to them in a week’s time with a decision. They also said that a couple of private firms have responded to a tender floated by HLL Biotech. A decision can only be taken after considering these proposals. Meanwhile, TN Chief Minister MK Stalin has urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to intervene immediately and hand over the Integrated Vaccine Complex at Chengalpattu to the State government for vaccine production with the help of a private partner.
The facility is lying unutilised. The Centre has already invested around ₹700 crore in the facility, which is almost completed but has been lying unutilised for want of additional funds. The recent attempt to find a private partner to run the facility has also not borne fruit, as there were no bidders for it.
“I am very keen that this modern facility must be made functional immediately, in the interest of our State as well as our nation. This would substantially enhance the nation’s vaccine production capacity and cater to the vaccine requirements of the country as a whole and Tamil Nadu in particular,” said Stalin.
“I wish to propose that the assets of IVC may be handed over to the State government on lease, without any past liabilities and with full operational freedom,” the letter said
The State government will identify a suitable private partner immediately and will make all efforts to commence vaccine production at the earliest. A suitable financial arrangement for the Central government to recover a part of its investment can be subsequently worked out after the commencement of operations,” said the letter.