Forcefully retired IDPL employees under VRS being threatened for eviction in Rishikesh
Hundreds of compulsarily ( forcefully) retired employees of one of the biggest pharmaceutical company in India with its biggest antibiotic plant in Rishikesh, IDPL established in collaboration with the then USSR are is immense financial jeopardy due to no wage revision since 1984 compounded with threats to evict them from their residential quarters, not being allowed to retain them.
The forcefully retired employees in acute financial mess n jeopardy, not being allowed to retain their residential quarters including imposing of heavy electricity charges despite not given four wage revisions, these employees have been staging dharnas and protest demonstrations since long but the adamant and obstinate anti workers IDPL management is hell bent upon evicting them out of their respected residences thus literally trying to bring them on roads with their hapless families, contravening their genuine constitutional right to live and survive.
According to the trade union leader of the forcefully retired employees of Indian Drugs and Pharmaceutical Industries Rishikesh plant A. K Mazumdar, the IDPL was the biggest pharmaceutical industry in India & its unit at Rishikesh was biggest antibiotics plant in Asia. It was established with the collaboration with USSR as a modern temple of modern India with a motto, medicines for the millions. Criticising the govt and the alleged existing corruption in the highest echelons of IDPL management Majumdar added that due to wrong policies of GOI & corruption in higher management, it came to lose & in 1996 it was referred to BIFR and bulk production simultaneously stopped. Only formulation block was running since then he added. In 2003 VRS was launched in which maximum employees being forced to retire at the salary of 1984, as there was no wage revision since 84 as such 4 wage revision were due. So financial conditions of IDPL Retirees gradually became worst. IDPL management arbitrarily detained dues 1,00,000 to 2,50,000 of VRS retirees, thus most of retirees were in their quarters as no other option for shelters. Instead of being compassionate towards the badly suffering IDPL employees with their financial position going haywire the IDPL management has further imposed panel rent of quarters and not paid interests on detained amount as well.
The Retirees Welfare Society met the union Chemical Minister to get the cumbersome pending issues of IDPL Retirees resolved. The minister however assured us for for justice but the IDPL management is extremely adamant not ready to relent said Majumdar. The Retired employees have no option but to organise protest agitations under the banner of Retirees Welfare Society from time to time. Several news reports also highlighted their genuine plights but of no avail. .Now the GOI had stopped even the formulation block since last year and is planning to get the IDPL quarters vacated in order to fecilitate the construction of a massive international convention center.
The IDPL Retires Welfare society demands commencement of the formulation block again in the interest of nation and request the government not to evict the retired employees from the residential quarters on extreme humanitarian grounds.
Senior journalist who had been a popular student and youth leader in students union of his Degree College in Rishikesh while pursuing his MSc, Umakant Lakhera said : Disbanding IDPL Rishkesh was a very unfortunate action of govt of India . Basic purpose of establishing this vast medicine plant in the gateway to hilly region n historic Char Dhams was to provide employment to local Uttrakhand skilled youth. The Rishkesh plant was a backbone of local economy in Rishkesh and lot of families who were employed in Rishikesh were supporting their near and dear in education and financial upliftment of their near and dears.
