‘In ivory towers’: HC slams Centre over jab shortage

NEW DELHI: The Delhi high court on Tuesday castigated the Centre over the shortage of vaccines, observing that some of the central government’s officers are living in “ivory towers” ignorant of ground realities at a time when Covid-19 “has not spared a single family”.

The court was hearing a petition by Panacea Biotec, which sought directions to the Union government to release several crores of rupees owed to it out of an arbitration ruling. The company said the money is required in order for it to produce doses of the Sputnik V vaccine, for which it has a licence from the original developers.

“Which bureaucrat is giving you instructions? Is he not alive to the situation? God bless this country. That is why we are facing this situation. In such matters instructions are to be taken from the highest authorities that too within 30 minutes,” the bench said, after the Centre’s representative opposed the company’s plea.

“Does your officer not see so many deaths taking place in the country and we are short of vaccines? Your client is not alive to the situation….,” the judges said while reacting to the Union government’s opposition to the plea.

The application by Panacea was filed seeking to modify a July 2020 order, by which the firm had undertaken not to press the execution of the arbitral award passed in its favour and against the Centre.

The Centre opposed the plea while contending that the manufacturing arrangement with the Russian Direct Investment Firm (RDIF) is for the global supply of Sputnik V.

Criticising this stand, the bench said that Panacea Biotec’s alliance with RDIF to produce the Sputnik V vaccine should be seen as an opportunity to ensure its usage here.

It said “no one is applying its mind” when there is an opportunity for the government to get millions of vaccines and it should use this as a window.

“Otherwise, deaths will continue to happen. Every day you are castigated by each and every court and still you are not awake… You (government) are so short of vaccines and you are not taking it through. Maybe it is an opportunity for you. Don’t be so negative. It is like a raging fire and nobody is bothered. You people don’t understand the larger picture or what? The virus has not spared any single family. Your officers are living in ivory towers,” the bench added.

Additional solicitor general Balbir Singh, representing the Centre, said certain “misleading statements” were made in the plea, and there was no urgency as the vaccines are to be sold outside India.

However, senior advocate Sandeep Sethi, appearing for the petitioner, told the court that no manufactured vaccines can be exported without the government’s consent.

The court issued a notice to the Centre and asked it to examine the plea and file a reply within a week and listed it for hearing on May 31.