 India is currently struggling with an alarming shortage of oxygen and vaccines due to the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. In the wake of this problem, various political parties and doctors have been urging the central government to immediately begin operations of the HLL Biotech Limited, also known as HPL, a public sector undertaking under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, located in Tamil Nadu's Chengalpet district. Newsclick had highlighted the importance of the unit a year back when the first wave had hit the country. Let's take a look at the issues and demands in detail. The company, having an area of 100 acres, started production in 2012. As per reports, despite having the capacity to produce 585 million tonnes of vaccine doses a year, the company is currently inactive. If it begins functioning, it will help in solving the vaccine crisis to a great extent. Newsclick approached Dr. Rex Sargunam, the President of Tamil Nadu Health Development Association, TNHDA, to find out how the existing facilities in the company could have been used during this pandemic. See, now the pandemic crisis is there and the necessity of this, very much the necessity in this time, is the production of vaccine. And the Integrated Vaccine Complex, HBL, is as a capacity for producing around 4.85 million doses. Now that the government of India is well aware of this fact, and so many things are addressed to them, even our Health Development Association has emailed to the Director-General of India, Prime Minister, Health Minister that, tweeted also to all these persons. But, and in fact, many MPs, Jyothi Meni, MP T.K. Rangarajan and Dr. Sandil Kumar, have all represented to the Health Minister, the government is well aware. And the news today you will have seen that in the Hindu paper, one Rajanand activist has got a right to Information Act. The government has considered everything is ready, not ready for commercialization. What they mean by commercialization? So, only thing they can make use of the capacity, scientists are there, employees are there, under the guidance of the ICMR and National Institute of Virology and also, and these people have guided the Bharat Biotech International, so that all these people can put together their resources and utilize the integrated vaccine complex potential and come out of the vaccines. So, it's very unfortunate, know that the vaccine is under protection and in fact very surprised to know that Covaxin producer Bharat Biotech has asked the Director-General of India to waive the, that is what they called, Shell Plane to be extended. In fact, they will be extended, they can be just to, Shell Plane, they can so plant it, they can send it to the required places and utilize it. And also, utilize, now that we are lacking in cell substance, utilize this HPL IVC for the protection of the vaccine. So, in fact it's not just the negligence, it's the people, so many people are dying and lack of vaccine. On the part of the Government of India, it's the criminal negligence and in fact, Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, Mr. Palaniswamy also appealed to the Government of India, Prime Minister, so they very well aware of it but they are sitting over this problem. I don't know what is the problem to utilize this and cannot be on the comprehension of any writing individual that this crisis, pandemic time, they are not bringing utilizing this. Newsflick also met with the employees and trade union leaders of the company to talk about their issues. I don't know how to run the company. They are saying it's going to be a big deal. They also asked me to run the company for about a year and a half. They asked me to run the company for about a month and a half. The company's situation is, it's going to be run, it's going to be run. In the meantime, the workers are coming, so they are going to commit suicide. Not even a single step has been taken to prove it. It was covered by the government and they did not pay their funds. The government has been working with us and have been looking out for them. They have been working with us for about a month now. They have been looking out for the company and they have been looking out for the facilities. After saying that, I am going to run the company as soon as possible and tell them to take a step. But they haven't taken any steps yet. They have not done anything. We have a step-by-step plan to alert all the people who are preparing for the COVID-19 vaccine. All the people who are preparing for the COVID-19 vaccine are not ready for the vaccine. But the government is not taking a step-by-step plan. They are trying to give it to the people. Last year, we were unable to prepare for the vaccine. But they decided to prepare for the vaccine. This is the HLL biotech control. They have ordered the vaccine and have done the same. We have to supply the vaccines. They have stopped the vaccine. We have to give the vaccine to the people who are preparing for the COVID-19 vaccine. The people who are preparing for the vaccine are not giving the vaccine. CITU has done all the roles here. We have met with the government team. But we do not have enough responses. CITU is the first thing that has been brought out by the Indian Communist Party and Marxist Party. That is the truth. The government will provide the vaccine to the people who are preparing for the vaccine. But all the people who are preparing for the vaccine are not ready. We have to do everything to get the vaccine. And when the government is preparing for the vaccine, we will have to provide the vaccine to the people who are preparing for the vaccine. In the news media, that is our Prime Minister, Modi Ji, has talked to Bharat Biotech Limiter. You can utilize this Changalpat Institute's infrastructure. This is what happened last two years' effort. Our former Rajeshwara MP, Comrade TK Rangarajan also, was involved to activate this institute. He personally met the Prime Minister, he personally met the Health Minister, he personally met Nithya Yakka chairman, vice chairman. These all people have committed him. We will provide fund and we will take an effort to activate this institute. But it has not happened so far. Here, on behalf of CITU, we reiterate the Government of India as well as the Tamil Nadu Government to use this infrastructure will be more useful to arrest or control this COVID-2 wave. See, this Changalpat is also one of the witnesses. In Changalpat District, his second largest COVID patients are there. Chennai, next one is Changalpat. Changalpat Medical College Hospital having thousands of beds, thousands of inpatient, thousands of other facilities in the college. Apart from that, the number of COVID patients is increased. So people are depending upon the private hospitals. This HBL, Hindustan Biotech Limited Institute could be used for isolation, research and other purposes also. So this is what is very much important at this juncture. Government of India must take proper measurements to activate this institute to arrest this second wave. This is what I would like to say. The second point is, if you run the institute, current employees will be getting full salary. So far, they haven't got full salary. If it is assumed, if you assume that salary is 20,000, they are providing, provided only 10,000. 50% of salary is given for them. It is too bad for last two years. This is the situation of the institute, the employees. Even scientists, I have to thank the scientists. See, in the situation of COVID spread over, all over the world, scientists are invited for the research purpose with a lakhs of rupees salary. Here they are working only 25,000 rupees. They are working for only 25,000 rupees. If the government is providing further investment to operate the unit, it will give full salary for them. New employment will be generated. Medicine will be provided. That vaccine will help the people in these three aspects. If the institute is run up, we can enjoy the three demands. Government of India, Health Department, Tamil Nadu Government must consider this proper issue and address the issue. This is what our humble request to the both the Central and State. The Congress-led UPA1 government was in power when this company was started. Let's see what Congress MP Jyothi Mani has to say about this. This is 2012, there is a government order during the Congress government to start the vaccine production here. The idea that there was no threatening of any kind of virus. The idea is to force these things and make the country fulfill on our own terms. For example, 2005-06, 98% of the vaccine program contributed by the PSUs. Contrary to that, now presently, 80% of the vaccines contributed by the private companies that to 250% margin. So this is the problem with the government. This government not only ignored the warning, not only didn't care for the people, but also they're actually involving enough profit-eating during this kind of tragedy-sunfolding. See basically, even before the last 70 years, all the vaccines actually given by the central government were free of cost. Across the globe, whenever this kind of virus happened or any other issues like polio or whatever it is, the vaccine is always free, the vaccination drive is free. But this is the first time in the history of India, a government allowed only the private companies, especially the two players, allowed them to contribute 80% of the vaccine drive. This is actually criminal offense in my view. This government, Mr. Modi's government, is working for only five corporations. They keep on saying Congress didn't do anything for 60 years. You know, I like to have a genuine question. If Congress couldn't do anything for the last 60 years, then these companies you are selling, the private sector PSUs you are selling, you are privatizing, is falling from the heaven. So this is basically, this government is for the corporate, by the corporate, of the corporate and anti-people. The PSUs, the Congress Party, government is built the PSUs, but this irrespective of the party in power, these kind of PSUs built from the taxpayers' money, public money basically. No government has any right to privatize this without any genuine reason.