The bench reiterated to the Centre that “flexibility and alacrity” has to be the key, saying it found no evidence to show the Centre “hand held” Indian manufacturers to tide over the crisis.
A private firm looking to produce Russian vaccine Sputnik V in India got a fund boost from Delhi High Court on Friday, even as judges lamented vaccine shortage. A bench of justices Manmohan and Najmi Waziri directed the Centre to release Rs 14 crore to the company along with interest since the time it won the arbitral award, once it obtains all required permissions from the authorities to manufacture the vaccine locally.
The bench reiterated to the Centre that “flexibility and alacrity” has to be the key, saying it found no evidence to show the Centre “hand held” Indian manufacturers to tide over the crisis. “Today, we are a bit anguished with the way things have transpired during the second wave. As a responsible citizen you also would be anguished. Vaccine shortage is hitting each and everyone. Even today, vaccines are not available in Delhi… You have good products in India, a little hand holding will work,” the bench remarked, asking it to “look at the big picture.”
It pointed out as an example that someone from Russia was able to locate infrastructure in Himachal Pradesh but the Centre failed to do so, despite being aware of the capacity. The bench said vaccine shortage is hitting everyone and the best way to fight the pandemic is to vaccinate the entire population. The court was hearing a plea related to manufacture of Sputnik V by Indian firm Panacea Biotec in collaboration with Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF), where the firm had approached court seeking to release the money it won against Centre by way of an arbitration award.
