Pharma PSUs will not be sold: Minister

GOOD news for the tens of thousands of employees in the ailing public sector undertakings (PSUs) in pharmaceuticals sector with the government making it categorically clear that such units will not be sold. Instead in a bid to make them financially viable their assets will be leveraged.
"The Public Sector Undertakings (in pharma sector) will not be sold. Instead, a...
model will be developed for leveraging their assets to make them financially sustainable," Minister of Chemicals and Fertilisers Ananth Kumar said while inaugurating of the modernised general tablet section of IDPL Gurgaon Plant, which has been upgraded at a cost of Rs 3 crore.
"After modernisation, IDPL-Gurgaon plant will be able to launch new products in areas of diabetes, oncology, NSAIDS, antibiotics-3rd generation, nephrology and cardiology, including other segments of lifestyle diseases at affordable price...," an official statement said. Kumar assured government's full support in enhancing the efficiency and productivity of pharma PSUs. There is a need to re-energise and revive the sick pharma PSUs and the government is working on it, he added. The minister further said drugs provided by IDPL and other PSUs will facilitate in smooth functioning of the government's programmes and help provide access to people good quality medicines.
Kumar said that his department is working on ‘Make-In-India’ mantra and this unit of IDPL is a step in that direction. He assured government’s full support in enhancing the efficiency and productivity of the public sector undertakings. Kumar said that providing affordable and good quality medicines to masses of the country is important and the public sector undertakings have an important role to play as they are not driven by profit motive but also serve public interest. He assured that the public sector undertakings will not be sold. Instead, a model will be developed for leveraging their assets to make them financially sustainable.
There are five central PSUs in pharma sector. They are Karnataka Antibiotics & Pharmaceuticals Ltd (KAPL), Rajasthan Drugs and Pharmaceuticals Ltd (RDPL), Hindustan Antibiotics Ltd (HAL), Bengal Chemicals & Pharmaceuticals Ltd (BCPL) and Indian Drugs and Pharmaceuticals Ltd (IDPL).
Out of the five while KAPL and RDPL have been making profits but the other three -- HAL, BCPL and IDPL -- were declared sick by the Board for Industrial & Financial Reconstruction (BIFR). The government has been considering and working on various schemes for their revival.
IDPL is one of the PSU under the department of pharmaceuticals engaged in manufacturing and marketing of a large number of medicines for the masses.
After modernization, IDPL, Gurgaon plant will be able to launch new products in the field of diabetes, oncology, NSAIDS, Antibiotics-3rd Generation, nephrology and cardiology including other segments of lifestyle diseases at affordable price and will play a vital role in providing the medicines at reasonable rate for the common people.
The minister said that a task force will be set up soon to look into all these aspects. He said that his ministry is working in close coordination with others concerned departments of the Government of India and the state governments as Team India for attaining health security. The minister said that Jan Aushadhi will be revamped soon. He informed that pharma cluster, pharma parks and medical devices parks are also a step in this direction.