Chennai: 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 Tamilnadu Industries Minister Thangam Thennarasu that the Centre would convey its decision within a week’s time.
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.
Baalu said that Rs 300 crore was immediately needed to operationalise the plant. “Money is not a problem at all. We need strategic partners to produce vaccines. They (GoI) have invited partners. Not many have evinced interests. The conditions were not acceptable to them. Negotiations are on. It might take a week. Goyal has assured us that whether it is TN govt or private partner, it would be decided in a week. We are seeking a lease. We could invest slowly. Other investors could operate too. There are various options. Expediting vaccine production is our leader’s intention. One week is the maximum time sought. Negotiation is in an advanced stage. We will see,” he said.
Stalin on Thursday urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to hand over on lease, the Integrated Vaccine Complex (IVC) at Chengalpet near here for production of vaccine to meet the growing demand.
In a letter to Modi, he said the modern and high capacity vaccine manufacturing facility, set up by HLL Bio-Tech Limited under the Union Ministry of Health, was lying unutilised.
He said the Centre had already invested around Rs 700 crore in this facility, which is almost complete, but has been lying unutilised for want of additional funds.
The recent attempt to find a private partner to run the IVC has also not borne fruit, as there were no bidders for it, he noted.
Expressing his keenness that this modern facility must be made operational immediately in the interest of Tamilnadu as well as the country, he said this would substantially enhance the nation’s vaccine production capacity and cater to the vaccine requirements of the country as a whole and Tamilnadu in particular.