Kerala - Alappuzha   

State Homoeopathic Pharmacy to be upgraded

Staff Reporter

Revival of KSDP and Autocast Ltd on the cards

ALAPPUZHA: The State Government plans to develop the public sector Kerala State Homoeopathic Cooperative Pharmacy here into a large-scale homoeopathic medicine manufacturing factory and to implement steps for the time-bound revival of public sector Kerala State Drugs and Pharmaceuticals Ltd.(KSDP), Kalavoor and Autocast Ltd. in the district, Finance Minister T.M. Thomas Isaac has said.

Addressing a press conference after visiting the pharmacy, Mr. Isaac said the Government had asked the management of the factory to submit a viable project for the development of the pharmacy. A hospital needed to be started along with the factory and farms should be started for the cultivation of medicinal plants used for the production of drugs, Mr. Isaac said. He said the Government had already earmarked Rs.1 crore in the revised Budget for the development of the factory and more amount would be allotted if found necessary.

Mr. Isaac said a meeting of Industries Minister Elamaram Karim, Health Minister P.K. Sreemathy and himself would be held within three months to approve the project. He pointed out that the pharmacy was a profit-making unit and supplied homoeopathic medicine for the health departments of six States, including Kerala On the revival of KSDP, Mr. Isaac said the Government will sign an agreement with trade unions of the KSDP at a meeting on July 22 to revive it and to convert it into a profit-making unit. The Industries Minister and the Health Minister would also participate in the meeting. Regarding the revival of Autocast, the Finance Minister said the factory had to repay the debt taken from banks. The Government was considering various options to tackle the problem and had placed a suggestion before banks for a one-time settlement, said Mr. Isaac. He said that the revival package for Autocast will be implemented this year itself. The Minister also said he would ensure the reopening of joint sector Kerala Spinners, Komalapuram, that is lying closed. Mr. Isaac later visited the relief camps at Omanappuzha here.

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