Parliamentary Panel Asked Centre In March To Increase Vaccine Production Capacity

The recommendation was made by the 31-member committee on Science and Technology, Environment, Forests and Climate Change, which had as many as 14 members from the ruling BJP.

A parliamentary standing committee had in March suggested ramping up of production capacity of the two COVID-19 vaccines manufactured in India for ensuring their availability to a wider population as soon as possible after it was informed that there could be a "shortage" if the inoculation is opened beyond the priority groups. The recommendation was made by the 31-member committee on Science and Technology, Environment, Forests and Climate Change, chaired by senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh, in its report on Demand for Grants for Department of Biotechnology that was tabled in Parliament on March 8. The panel has as many as 14 members from the ruling BJP. "The Committee...recommends...to strengthen...the efforts for ramping up the production capacity of the two approved vaccines as well as provide all research, laboratory infrastructure and capacity building support to the other vaccine candidates in the pipeline, in order to ensure the availability of a safe, affordable, and efficacious vaccine to the wider population as soon as possible," the report said.