Tag: Bengal Chemicals

Bengal CM writes to Centre, saying it’s extremely wrong to sell off Bengal Chemicals

Posted on | by aitc | Leave a Comment on Bengal CM writes to Centre, saying it’s extremely wrong to sell off Bengal Chemicals

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has written a strong letter to the Union Commerce & Industry Ministry regarding the Central Government’s decision to sell off Bengal Chemicals & Pharmaceuticals Ltd., a company with a long and illustrious history.

Though it was not doing well for some time, in the last few years it has turned around quite a bit. The company earned profits during the 2016-17 fiscal, which almost doubled during the 2017-18 fiscal (an increase of 97.5 per cent). In this state of things, what is needed is more help from the Centre rather than selling it off.

Hence, the Chief Minister has written in the letter that the decision to sell it off should be immediately taken back. She has also written that the Bengal Government would provide all manner of help to build Bengal Chemicals up into a Maharatna company.

The company also has units in Mumbai and Kanpur. The Centre had previously too tried to sell the company. It was mainly Mamata Banerjee’s efforts which prevented that from happening.

Another point raised by the Chief Minister in her letter is the fact that the Kolkata High Court is yet to decide on the case filed by the workers and unions of the company against the Centre’s decision to sell it off.

Then, the company is engaged in manufacturing fair-priced essential goods for the common people. Hence, it can never be termed a ‘low-priority enterprise’, as the Centre has signified it.

Mamata Banerjee in her letter has also written about the illustrious history of the company and its crucial role in the movement for Indian-made goods during the colonial period.

All in all, the Chief Minister, through coherent arguments, has clearly indicated in the letter that it is an absolutely wrong decision to sell off Bengal Chemicals, as it is a profitable company now.

SS Roy urges GOI to not to phase out Bengal Chemicals, the first Swadeshi company of India

Posted on | by admin2 | Leave a Comment on 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.