The fate of IDPL Tamil Nadu Ltd, the wholly owned subsidiary of IDPL, looks highly uncertain as the Union ministry of chemicals & fertilizers is yet to take a decision of the revival of the PSU.
The subsidiary continues to be in a state of crisis even when the minister hailing from Tamil Nadu holds the portfolio of chemicals and fertilizers at the centre.The Chennai unit of IDPL became a 100 per cent subsidiary of IDPL as per the guidance given by Board for Industrial & Financial Reconstruction (BIFR) in 1994, along with Bihar Drugs & Organic Chemicals Limited (IDPL-BDOCL), Muzaffarpur.
IDPL TN Ltd, along with other four units (Rishikesh, Hyderabad, Muzaffarpur and Gurgaon) were declared sick in 1992 by BIFR. Subsequently after the revival plan put up by the BIFR after two years, a separate board of directors was constituted to run the unit. Some of the members of the board of directors of the parent IDPL were (and are) also members in this unit.
Currently the Chennai subsidiary is producing 50 generic drugs and 15 branded products, as per orders of the marketing division of IDPL. Whereas all production activities have been stopped at BDOCL since 1996. Production of drugs in Chennai unit started in1965, which was the first production unit of IDPL. Out of the 1200 employees the unit had in 1992, 1181 employees have opted for VRS. Presently the unit has only 19 regular staff and some casual and contract laborers.
In the beginning, the unit started with the production of surgical instruments backed by Russian technology. It had produced 400 types of instruments in its best of times. In 1965, when the technology was received from Russia, there was a buy-back agreement with that country to buy 50 per cent of the finished products. Later, when the company started running into losses, the agreement also ceased to exist.
Though a package for revival of IDPL was formulated by BIFR in 1994 and a Group of Ministers was constituted by the central government to look into its revival, the matter is dragging on without any action. It is alleged that the minister of C&F, M K Azhagiri has no interest in reviving it, even though the case of the PSU was included in the 100 days program of prime minister when the present government came to power. Production of surgical instruments, hospital equipment and appliances for physically challenged persons was stopped in the unit in 2003.
IDPL has now three units at Rishikesh, Hyderabad and Gurgaon and in the Rishikesh Unit, the production of bulk drugs has been stopped since October, 1996. However, a few formulations are being produced as per the orders received from Trade Market, Ministry of Health & Family Welfare and ESIC. There is no production in Hyderabad unit.
In Gurgaon Unit, where the corporate office is located, a few formulations are being produced based on market demand and orders received from Ministry of Health & Family Welfare and ESIC.