The Government of India owned integrated vaccines complex - HLL Biotech Limited at Chengalpattu, which came into existence in March 2012 with a capital investment of ₹594 crore, is yet to start commercial production, according to a RTI response.
Speaking to reporters here on Sunday, activist Anand Raj of Madurai said that the 100 % subsidiary of HLL Life Care Limited, fully owned by the Central government had remained a non-starter. " For at least four queries, the response was like the commercialisation is yet to begin, the unit was in project stage and yet to commercialise...," he said.
To a query on the strength of employees on roll, the response was, the unit has 157 employees including a CEO, against a sanctioned strength of 408 and had 251 vacancies as of March 2020.
The objective of the government was welcomed as they had proposed to manufacture life saving and cost effective vaccines, primarily to minimise the demand-supply gap. But, the time taken to issue NOCs and approvals for a public sector enterprise had raised eyebrows. The public money had been wasted without the production being commenced.
The RTI applicant, who had sought the response in March 2020, after the pandemic surfaced in Tamil Nadu last year, said that the Central government, even after the health emergency in the country, had not yet given its approval. This is baffling and he alleged that the delay in giving the stamp of approval may be to support the private players engaged in manufacture of vaccines.
The VCK MP Ravikumar had recently raised the issue with the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Mr. Raj said and suggested that judicial intervention alone would bring in results.