March 17, 2017
SS Roy urges GOI to not to phase out Bengal Chemicals, the first Swadeshi company of India
FULL TRANSCRIPT
Sir, the Government of India has decided to sell Bengal Chemicals & Pharmaceuticals Limited. During the partition of Bengal, Acharya Prafulla Chandra Ray established Bengal Chemicals and Pharmaceuticals Limited. It was the first Swadeshi company in India. It has been operating for more than a century. But unfortunately the Government has decided to sell the company.
Sir, I would like to place before you that this company’s factories are located in Mumbai, Kanpur, Panihati and Maniktala, and its sales offices in Patna, Cuttack, Hyderabad, Chennai and Delhi. This is the only company in Asia to manufacture anti-venom serum in the country. It has earned a profit of more than Rs 1 crore last year. In spite of this, the Government has decided on the strategic sale of this company
Apart from Bengal Chemicals and Pharmaceuticals Limited, the Government has decided on the strategic sale of another public sector company, Bridge and Roof, which is a Mini-Ratna company. They have hundreds of orders with them – still the Government has decided for the strategic sale of this company. In this way, the public sector companies are being sold out and thousands of labourers are being rendered jobless, not only in Bengal but in different parts of the country.
Therefore, I would urge upon the Government through you, Sir, to review the decision for sale so that these companies are saved. Bengal Chemicals and Pharmaceuticals is the first Swadeshi company of the country, which was established during the Swadeshi Movement when the anti-Partition movement was going on, in 1905. Therefore, Sir, I would urge upon the Government that the Government should restrain themselves from selling out Bengal Chemicals and Bridge and Roof forthwith. Thank you, Sir.
