Centre grants Y category security to Serum Institute CEO Adar Poonawalla amid threats over Covishield supplies

Chief Executive Officer of the Pune-based Serum Institute of India Adar Poonawalla will get Y category security from the Centre. The Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) will provide this security cover to Poonawalla.

This decision by the Union government came after the director, government and regulatory affairs at Serum Institute of India Prakash Kumar Singh wrote to the Union Home Minister Amit Shah on April 16.

In this letter, Singh had requested the Union Home Ministry to provide security to Poonawalla. Singh also talked about the threats that Poonawalla had received from various groups over supplies of the Serum Institute's coronavirus vaccine.

Singh added, "We are working shoulder to shoulder to fight against COVID-19 pandemic with the Government of India under the dynamic leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi."

This announcement assumes importance as the Pune-based pharma major decided to lower the prices of its vaccine for states from Rs 300 per dose to Rs 400 per dose.

Poonawalla tweeted, "As a philanthropic gesture on behalf of @SerumInstIndia, I hereby reduce the price to the states from Rs 400 to Rs 300 per dose, effective immediately; this will save thousands of crores of state funds going forward. This will enable more vaccinations and save countless lives."

Edited by Mehak Agarwal; with PTI inputs

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