UP extends vaccine global tender deadline to June 10

Lucknow / June 2, 2021

Uttar Pradesh, which has floated a global tender for procuring 40 million Covid-19 vaccines to inoculate an estimated 90 million people in the 18-45 years slab, has extended the deadline for submitting bids to June 10.

When the tender was floated on May 7, 2021, the deadline was May 21. However, the deadline has been extended on the demand of the vaccine makers, who had also suggested a slew of relaxations in the original terms and conditions mentioned in the first tender notice.

Meanwhile, the UP cabinet has also approved a budgetary allocation of Rs 350 crore for the ongoing vaccination programme. The funds would be provided to the state nodal agency UP Medical Supplies Corporation (UPMSC), which has floated the global tender.

Earlier, the Yogi Adityanath government had allocated Rs 50 crore for the Covid vaccination programme in the Annual Budget 2021-22, which was tabled in the state legislature on February 22, 2021.

From June 1, the state has started the vaccination drive in all the 75 districts pertaining to the comparatively youth category of 18-45 years. Earlier, only 23 districts were covered under the drive.

At a pre-bid meeting convened by UPMSC on May 12, the representatives of vaccine makers had sought amendments in the tender criteria. The virtual meet was attended by the representatives of Pfizer, SII, Bharat Biotech, Dr Reddy’s Lab (Indian licensee for Russia made Sputnik), Zydus Cadila apart from a South Korean firm.

Subsequently, UP government had amended the norm of storing vaccines between 2-8 degree Celsius, and allowed firms to participate even if their vials needed storage at sub-zero temperatures. The 2-8 degree Celsius storage condition had rendered Pfizer and Moderna out of contention since their mRNA (messenger RNA) vaccines have to be stored at minus 20-80 degree Celsius.

Further, the state halved the earnest money deposit (EMD) criteria for the participating firms from Rs 16 crore to Rs 8 crore.

Meanwhile, SII had expressed its inability to participate in the tender citing bulk supply orders it already had. Pfizer representative said the company was expecting to receive the approval of the Centre for supplying its vaccine soon.

Zydus Cadila representative said the company’s vaccine was in the clinical trial stage and regular Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) was yet to give its nod to the manufacture and supply of vaccines in India.

In April 2021, UP had directly placed an order for 10 million doses, 5 million each to Bharat Biotech and SII. Apart from global tender of 40 million doses and direct order of 10 million doses, the state is expected to receive additional vaccines from the Centre for the vaccination drive.

(Virendra Singh Rawat is a Lucknow based journalist, who writes on contemporary issues of industry, economy, agriculture, infrastructure, budget etc)