_.jpg?w=801&auto=format%2Ccompress&fit=max&format=webp&dpr=1.0)
While recalling all the "hardships" and "harassment from bureaucrats" that the industry had to deal with fifty years ago💎 in order to secure permissions, chairman of the city-based vaccine maker Serum Institute of India (SII), Dr Cyrus Poonawalla, on Friday applauded the Modi government for putting an end to the malpracti♛ces like red-tapism and licence raj have come down under its rule.
He also ment🙈ioned that he had to "fall at the feet" of bureaucrats and drug controllers in order to get permissions, and added that the situation has changed now, which resulted in quick launch of SII's COVID-19 vacci𒁃ne - Covishield.
Poonawalla was speaking at the event where he receive♛d the Lokmanyat Tila🌱k National Award instituted by the Lokmanya Tilak Trust here.
"Serum Institute was founded in 1966 the morning after my marriage with Villoo, my dear late wife, to whom I dedicate this award. Fifty years ago, the industry had to face hardships✅ꦆ in getting basic facilities like power, water, in getting permissions from bureaucrats. It had to face harassment from bureaucrats...I was not supposed to say this," he said.
"Transport and communication were𒆙 also great problems and challenges that were faced by my staff and fellow directors...It was a long journey and a very painful one, which has now become very rewarding. I had to fall at the feet of bureaucrats and drug controllers, etc, to get permissions. But I must stress that difficulties, red tape are much reduced now under the Modi government," he said.
Licence raj has also come down, which has resulted in quick launch of the coronavirus vaccine, Poonawalꩲla said.
"Certainly, one of the major reasons why we could launch our vaccine so quickly was forthcoming grant or permission, encouragement to industries as the licence raj has come down considerably. We have got a drug controller, w🅘hich responds in th🃏e evening even after the office hours. There is no need for 'maska polish' now," he said.
Taking about the award, he said that he values it a lot although he had been honoured in💯 America, UK and vaꦰrious other countries in the past.
Speaking on the occasion, Deepak Tilak, president of the Lokmanya Tilak Trust, said, "In unstable and challenging conditions, SII took immense efforts 🅠to develop an indigenous vaccine, which mitigated panic associated with COVID-19. This is the result of the effort and solid support of Dr Cyrus Poonawalla to his team."
Former Union minister and senior Congressღ leadܫer Sushil Kumar Shinde also lauded Poonawalla for his work and said that with the SII vaccine was saving lakhs of lives.
(With PTI Inputs)
