Govt plans to shut down two pharma PSUs, disinvest other three: Gowda

The government has decided to close two pharma public sector undertakings and disinvest the other three, Parliament was informed.

“The Department of Pharmaceuticals has five public sector undertakings (PSUs). Out of the five PSUs, the government has taken a decision to close two pharma PSUs, namely Indian Drugs & Pharmaceuticals Ltd (IDPL) and Rajasthan Drugs & Pharmaceuticals Ltd (RDPL),” said D V Sadananda Gowda, Minister of Chemicals and Fertilisers, in response to a question in the Lok Sabha.

The government has also decided to strategically disinvest the other three — Hindustan Antibiotics Ltd (HAL), Bengal Chemicals & Pharmaceuticals Ltd (BCPL), and Karnataka Antibiotics & Pharmaceutical Ltd (KAPL), he added.

The government has offered voluntary retirement benefits to all employees of IDPL and RDPL, Gowda said.

“However, the Committee of Ministers constituted on September 9, 2019, will take necessary decisions pertaining to closure/strategic sale of the pharma public sector undertakings, including the sale of assets and clearance of outstanding liabilities,” he added.