Unit in Pune to be used to produce Covaxin; to be handed over in 3 days

After the Bombay high court (HC) directed the state government to hand over a vaccine manufacturing unit locate in Pune district to an associate of Bharat Biotech for vaccine production, the forest department said it will complete the process within the next three days

After the Bombay high court (HC) directed the state government to hand over a vaccine manufacturing unit locate in Pune district to an associate of Bharat Biotech for vaccine production, the forest department said it will complete the process within the next three days.

HT Image

The HC has directed the Pune district collector to hand over possession of an idle vaccine manufacturing unit at village Manjari Khurd, in Haveli Taluka, to Biovet Pvt. Ltd, an associate of Bharat Biotech, to manufacture ‘Covaxin’ and other vaccines. The unit is situated on land admeasuring 11.58 hectares.

A division bench of justice KK Tated and justice Nitin Borkar, while hearing an interim application by ‘Biovet’ which sought possession of the vaccine manufacturing unit being used by Intervet India Pvt Ltd, a multinational subsidiary of Merck & Co which was granted the land in 1973 to manufacture vaccine for Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD). The company which was shutting down its operations in India had agreed to transfer the land and unit to Biovet, however, the government through the forest department refused the transfer, on the grounds that the transfer in 1973 was bad.

Deputy conservator of forest (Pune division) Rahul Patil said his department, which owns the land, will cooperate with the procedure while formalities related to handover will be completed in two-three days following which the pharma company can take make arrangements required for the vaccine production.

On May 6, advocate RD Soni for Biovet informed the bench that the company had filed a petition challenging the July 2020 order of the deputy conservator of forest, Pune, who had rejected their application to re-examine and review the refusal order passed by the assistant conservator in June 2018. Soni submitted that if the unit was handed over to Biovet it could start manufacturing Foot and Mouth Disease and Covid-19 vaccine.

Soni also submitted that due to the dispute between the company and the state government, the plant and machinery, which could start manufacturing of Covaxin, was lying idle, hence the court should direct the government to transfer the land to Biovet and also permit them to carry out structural changes to maximise the manufacturing capacity of the unit. The company also assured the court that they would not claim any equity in their favour and would use the unit for manufacturing life-saving vaccines including Covaxin.

Advocate general Ashutosh Kumbhakoni for the state government submitted that it did not have an objection if an interim application was allowed to the extent that applicants would use the premises only for manufacturing Covaxin and other life-saving vaccines without claiming any right, title and interest on the said property. The AG also informed the court that the concerned officer would cooperate with Biovet for grant of any permission required to start the manufacturing process for Covid-19 vaccine.

After hearing the submissions, the bench accepted the undertaking by Biovet and directed the state government to grant appropriate licenses, permissions or NOCs to Biovet in a ‘time-bound manner’ to enable manufacturing of FMD vaccine and Covaxin along with other life-saving vaccines.