An additional 68
million doses of Oral Polio Vaccine (OPV) is to be made available
by the end of next month for the National Mission on Immunisation.
The Bharat Immunologicals and Biologicals Corporation Ltd.,
Bulandshahr, a public sector undertaking of the Department of
Biotechnology, has already supplied to the Ministry of Health,
nearly 700 million doses of OPV till the end of December last,
valued at Rs. 140 crore for the national mission.
The BIBCOL was
set up in 1989 for research and development in vaccines as well
as production of Oral Polio Vaccines and other immuno-biologicals
under the national mission on Immunisation.
Recently, the government
agreed to the conversion of the corporation’s bridge loan of
Rs. 4.72 crore to equity, as well as waiving of interest accrued
till date. The government has also acceded to the allotment
of equity shares to the financial institutions i.e. IDBI, IFCI
and ICICI to the extent of Rs. 13.07 crore, as also conversion
of Rs. 91 lakh into Zero percent bonds to SBI and SBH.
The Centre is also
looking into the possibility of inducting a strategic partner
for the corporation.
