Hindustan Antibiotics Ltd (HAL) in Pune is sitting on unsold antibiotics worth Rs21.79 crore and 40% of these lying in the company’s godowns have expired, says a June audit report.
Hindustan Antibiotics Ltd (HAL) in Pune is sitting on unsold antibiotics worth Rs21.79 crore and 40% of these lying in the company’s godowns have expired, says a June audit report.
The firm — the country’s first public sector company — has dues of Rs19 crore since 2008. It achieved Rs85 crore production in 2010-11, but drugs worth more than Rs20 crore were left unsold.
HAL insiders say the company with 900 employees has the potential for revival but there is a deliberate attempt to ‘kill’ it.
Union agriculture minister Sharad Pawar, who was president of the Hindustan Antibiotics Mazdoor Sangh (HAMS) for 13 years, had played a key role in the company’s revival. MP Supriya Sule, Pawar’s daughter, has been leading HAMS for the past one year.
HAL documents with the DNA show the expired drugs include Haxime (100mg & 200mg) worth Rs35 lakh, Cepha (500mg) worth Rs 32 lakh, Amox (500mg) worth Rs18.86 lakh and Amphi (500mg) worth Rs15 lakh.
On January 17, 2009, Ram Vilas Paswan, former minister for chemicals and fertilisers, had inaugurated HAL’s new production plant for the manufacture of Cephalosporin antibiotic in an attempt to revive the company. Several financial institutions too had sanctioned a loan of Rs60 crore. But the losses continued and no more loans were sanctioned after 2009.
A company source said the audit report indicated a deliberate attempt to shut the company down. At a meeting with the management on November 24, 2010, HAMS representatives had raised the issue of transparency in administration.
At the meeting, the manager (marketing) had said the company had an inventory of Rs10 crore and a few products worth Rs1.5 crore had expired as on date.
But HAMS representatives had alleged that the figures were fabricated and the management showed no interest in reviving the company. The union representatives even took up the matter of unsold drugs with DM Jha, GM (marketing), who later resigned.
Arun Borhade, union general secretary, and AS Vaidya, company MD, refused to comment. Vaidya said he had forwarded DNA’s emailed questionnaire to the public relations department. “They will contact you,” he said. But there was no response.
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