BHUBANESWAR: As Odisha is struggling to get its quota of Covid-19 vaccine from indigenous manufacturers, the State government could upgrade the drug manufacturing unit of Orissa Drugs and Chemicals Limited (ODCL) at Mancheswar here for vaccine production, the BJP has said.
A Central public sector undertaking, ODCL, a joint venture between Indian Drugs and Pharmaceuticals Ltd (IDPL) and Industrial Promotion and Investment Corporation of Odisha Limited (IPICOL), has a ready-to-use unit for production of vaccine.
“ODCL, which was manufacturing injections, tablets, capsules, liquid orals and ORS till December 2020, requires an investment of Rs 5 crore to make the facility ready for production of vaccine in vial form,” said former general manager of the company TK Pradhan.
He said the existing facility has the capacity to manufacture 5 lakh doses of vaccine a day and it will be a game-changer if the government decides to invest Rs 10 crore out of which Rs 5 crore is required to buy back 51 per cent (pc) of IDPL share.
Set up as joint sector unit in May 1979 with IDPL holding 51 pc equity and IPICOL having the remaining 49 pc share, ODCL started its production in 1984. The company, however, continued to incur loss till Pradhan took over as general manager in 2010.
Pradhan, who superannuated on May 10, said the company started making profit from 2011-12 till 2016-17. As IPICOL had shown interest to buy back the 51 pc share of IDCL, the Department of Pharmaceuticals under the Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilisers sought the views of the State PSU for taking over ODCL along with its assets and liabilities.
Since IPICOL is mandated for industrial promotion and not to do business, the PSU expressed its inability to take over the company. If the State government can provide huge incentives to Bharat Biotech in the shape of land allotment, exemption of stamp duty, capital investment subsidy, interest subsidy for production of Covaxin at Andharua here, investment of Rs 10 crore for ODCL is peanuts, said State BJP vice-president Bhrugu Baxipatra. The BJP leader requested Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik for immediate takeover of ODCL which will go a long way in meeting the vaccine need of Odisha and other states.
Former DMET, writer Prof Nimai Panda passes away
Cuttack: Noted biochemistry professor, educationist, medical administrator and researcher Dr Nimai Charan Panda died of old age at his residence in Cuttack on Wednesday. He was 90. Dr Panda was former principal of SCB Medical College and Director of Medical Education and Training. Dr Panda, a writer on science of repute, had also been the president of Odisha Bigyan Prachar Samiti. He was awarded Kalinga Samman-2019 for his contribution to popularise health science. He was also conferred with Gangadhar Rath Smaraki Samman-2013 for his contribution in the field of biochemistry.