CHENNAI: A few hours after Chief Minister MK Stalin requested Prime Minister Narendra Modi to hand over the Integrated Vaccine Complex of the Centre located at Thirukazhukundram in Chengalpattu district to the state government, Union Minister Piyush Goyal at New Delhi told Tamil Nadu Industries Minister Thangam Thennarasu that the Centre would convey its decision within a week’s time.
The complex, which can produce one billion doses annually, has been lying unused for years after it was built on a sprawling 100 acres under the Universal Immunisation Programme of the Union government. This drew criticism at a time when the country is facing a crisis and totally dependent on private companies.
In New Delhi, Thennarasu and DMK parliamentary party leader TR Baalu called on Goyal and conveyed the Chief Minister’s message. Thennarasu and TR Baalu told reporters that during the meeting Goyal said that the Centre would convey its decision within a week's time whether the Centre or state government would start producing vaccines at this complex since the Centre was negotiating with some companies.
To commence the production of vaccines, Rs 300 crore should be invested. Ten days ago, the Centre called for tenders for producing vaccines at this complex. But there are few takers for the tenders. So, the process is getting delayed. On the production capacity of this complex, they said within six months, two crore doses could be produced while in a year, around eight crore doses could be produced.
The Integrated Vaccine Complex has state-of-the-art vaccine manufacturing machinery capable of producing one million doses annually. The facility was initially established to produce regular vaccines like Liquid Pentavalent Vaccine (LPV), Hepatitis-B-Vaccine, Haemophilus Influenzae Type B, Rabies Vaccine, Japanese Encephalitis E Vaccine, BCG Vaccine and Measles-Rubella Vaccine under the Universal Immunisation Programme of the Centre.
On Tuesday, the Chief Minister inspected the complex, held discussions with officials and promised all assistance from the state government to start vaccine production soon. Already, the state government has called for global tenders for importing 3.5 crore doses of COVID-19 vaccines and the tenders would be opened on June 5.
The Chief Minister, in his letter to the Prime Minister, said the assets of this vaccine complex could be handed over to the state government on lease, without any past liabilities and with full operational freedom. "The state government will identify a suitable private partner immediately and 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," Stalin added.
Pointing out that mass vaccination is the most potent weapon available now to fight COVID-19, the Chief Minister said commencing vaccine production at this complex would substantially enhance the nation's capacity and cater to the requirements of the country as a whole and Tamil Nadu in particular. "Hence it is absolutely necessary that we must ramp up the domestic vaccine manufacturing capacity in accordance with the Prime Minister's vision of self-sufficient India,” he added.
The Chief Minister further said the high capacity vaccine manufacturing facility at Chengalpattu under the Union Ministry of Health is lying unutilised. The Centre has already invested around Rs 700 crore on this manufacturing facility which is almost complete but has been lying unutilised for want of additional funds. Recent attempts to find a private partner to run this vaccine complex have also not borne fruit as there were no bidders for it, he said.