With country’s top scientists warning of a possible third wave of the pandemic, the Odisha government on Thursday announced that the construction of a vaccine production unit in the State has already begun. The government has set June 2022 as the target to begin production of vaccine.
The announcement was made after a State level Bio-Tech implementation committee meeting by the Chief Secretary.
The vaccine production unit will come up at Andharua on the outskirts of Bhubaneswar.
The State government informed that necessary statutory clearances and permissions for the construction of the vaccine production unit have also been granted. As the government has set a target to start the production of vaccines mainly Covaxin by June 2022, Chief Secretary Suresh Mohapatra directed the officials to expedite the construction of the anchor vaccine production unit and laying of other critical infrastructure.
IDCO CMD Sanjay Singh who was also a part of the meeting with the Chief Secretary, informed that a State of the Art Hub incubation centre has been set up near Infocity, Bhubaneswar. Rs 15 crore fund has been allocated by the State government to support incubation in biotechnology.