THE BRIHANMUMBAI Municipal Corporation (BMC) on Wednesday issued a global Expression of Interest EOI for procumement of atleast one crore vaccine doses for Mumbai.
The EOI also urged that bids from companies in the countries that share land borders with India will not be considered, which bars any company from China.
“We are not aware of the Central government’s current policy. But we have decided to put in this condition in the tender to ban Chinese firms from participating in the EoI. There is a question on the quality aspects and other specifics of the Chinese vaccines. We are not accepting that (WHO approval),” P Velrasu, Additional Municipal Commissioner (Projects), told The Indian Express.
Interested companies are required to give their response by May 18 and the finalised company will have to deliver the vaccines within three weeks of the work order issue.
“The finalised company will have to meet other compliance in India like import facilitation, getting essential registration,” Velrasu said.
The total requirement of vaccines for the city is 1.50 crore for the 18-year plus population, an official said. “The BMC has resolved to make every possible effort in future also to acquire sufficient quantities of Covid vaccines to vaccinate all eligible citizens of Mumbai on a war footing in the next 60-90 days,” said Municipal commissioner I S Chahal.
