Plea seeking licence, funds for vaccine dismissed

A division bench comprising Justice MM Sundresh and Justice R Hemalatha observed that the prayer sought for could not be granted from any perspective. Appearing for IVC, Additional Solicitor General R Sankaranarayanan submitted that there was a difficulty in getting the permission from the patent holders and therefore the very license has not been sought for. Special government pleader appearing for the State submitted that the question of granting the licence would not arise as none has been sought.

The petitioner, P Vijayan, a practicing advocate, had sought the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Indian Council of Medical Research and the Tamil Nadu government to grant necessary licence, adequate funds and all support to the Integrated Vaccines Complex, Chengalpattu and make optimal utilisation of the facility.

Dismissing the plea, the bench also cited the dismissal of a similar writ petition that had sought to direct the State to provide material and monetary support to HLL Biotech Limited in Chengalpattu to manufacture COVID-19 testing kits (VTM PCR Kit) and develop a COVID-19 vaccine.