Nishank demands revival of IDPL unit at Rishikesh

Tribune News Service

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Dehradun, December 16

Haridwar MP Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank met Union Chemical and Fertilizer Minister Ananth Kumar at his office in New Delhi today and demanded revival of the Indian Drugs and Pharmaceuticals Limited (IDPL) unit at Rishikesh. The factory is being treated as a sick industry for the past several years.

Nishank informed the minister that goods worth several crores of rupees were rotting at the IDPL unit at Rishikesh, hence it was important to revive it as soon as possible. He added the IDPL had served people by manufacturing cheap drugs. He demanded that the pharma unit be revived using the state of art technology and the research centre should be activated fully so that people could benefit from the research work done by health scientists.

The former Chief Minister said there was no dearth of human resource in the field and the IDPL unit could play a decisive role in the skill development plan of the Union government. Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s dream could be realized by using empty blocks at the IDPL unit, he added.

Nishank said with the revival of the IDPL, the country would not only get life saving drugs but also save vital foreign exchange by using medicines and drugs manufactured in the country. Once started, it would also boost the economy of the state, he added. He hoped the ministry concerned would take steps to revive the IDPL unit without delay. Ananth Kumar assured Nishank of doing the needful in the matter.

Earlier Nishank expressed concern at the rising cases of autism in the country and demanded introduction of welfare schemes for such patients and awareness programmes to sensitise others about the disease. Union Minister of State for Social Justice Krishan Pal Gurjar said a national body on autism, cerebral palsy, mental retardation and other similar diseases was constituted in 2000.