The Indian Express 14.03.2013
Pimpri-Chinchwad civic body steps up to do its bit for ailing antibiotics firm
Ten days after Newsline highlighted the plight of the country’s first
penicillin factory, a dream project of Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, the
Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation has decided to do its bit to bail
out the ailing pharma PSU.
The PCMC will place orders for seven medicines from Hindustan Antibiotics (HA), Pimpri without calling for tenders.
“As of now, we have decided to purchase seven medicines without
tenders,” said Municipal Commissioner Shrikar Pardeshi, who added,
“Hindustan Antibiotics is a national unit and we will do our best to
help it at a time when it is going through a crisis.”
On Tuesday, the civic chief held a meeting with HA management, HA
union leaders and a couple of local corporators and conveyed PCMC’s
intention.
On March 4, Newsline reported that HA had run out of cash to pay
salary to employees and purchase raw material. The report highlighted
how the PCMC medical department had consistently been refusing to
purchase medicines from HA or the civic-run YCM hospital. HA officials
alleged that whenever they approached PCMC, officials demanded kickbacks
including tickets to Singapore.
When Newsline had brought this to the notice of the municipal
commissioner on March 3, he had said he was not aware of any such thing,
but would do his best during his tenure to help the institute that has
given Pimpri Chinchwad global fame.
The death of Gandhiji’s wife Kasturba Gandhi in Pune in 1944 of
complications that could have been prevented by penicillin is believed
to have prompted Pandit Nehru, when he wanted the factory to be set up
after Independence, to locate it in Pimpri.
In Tuesday’s meeting, HA union leaders cited a government resolution
making it mandatory for local self-government bodies to purchase
medicines from public sector units. “However, PCMC has never followed
this GR,” said Arun Borhade, general secretary of HA Majdoor Sangh.
Pardeshi said based on this GR, PCMC will directly purchase
medicines from HA. “It has been brought to my notice by our medical
department that rates quoted by private companies are lower. Because of
the GR, we will not be required to float tenders. We will purchase
medicines directly from HA,” he said.
PCMC health chief Shyamrao Gaikwad said they are not in a
position to quote a figure for purchases to be made from HA. “As of now,
we will have to look into our requirement and place orders. We are
collating information from our departments,” he said.
The civic chief said this was the first round of discussion and
he would hold further dialogue with company officials. Appreciating
PCMC’s positive approach, Borhade said, “In spite of HA being a reputed
national institute, the civic body had displayed apathy. But the civic
chief is very helpful and we are sure PCMC will make large purchases
which will ease the financial pressure on the PSU,” he said.
Meanwhile, the management is not sure of when the revival package
of Rs 502 crore announced by the Centre for HA will arrive,
particularly as an earlier package, its first, had taken 10 years to
reach.
The management, meanwhile, hoped local civic bodies and hospitals make purchases from the PSU to keep it afloat.
The HA Majdoor Sangh is headed by Supriya Sule, MP. NCP chief Sharad
Pawar had earlier headed it for 13 years. When contacted, Sule said she
was not aware of why the PCMC had not purchased medicines from HA in the
past. As for the second revival package, Sule said she was pursuing the
matter with the central government departments concerned.
