Govt has decided to shut 2 pharma PSUs, disinvest other 3: Govt tells LS

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

"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)," Minister ofChemicals and Fertilisers D V Sadananda Gowda said in response to a question in the Lok Sabha.

The government has also decided to strategically disinvestthe 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 allemployees of IDPL and RDPL, Gowda said.

"However, the Committeeof Ministers constituted on September 9, 2019, will take necessary decisions pertaining toclosure/strategic sale of the pharma public sector undertakings, including the sale of assets andclearance of outstanding liabilities," he added.