TAMPCOL, the government of Tamil Nadu enterprise that supplies the bulk of Indian System of Medicine drugs to the State is all set to expand its activities and set up sales centres in all districts.
The company, which has been recording a steady growth in sales over the past four years, notched Rs.19 crore as the turnover for the year ending March 2010.
This resulted in a net profit of about Rs.224 lakh. During 2009-10, TAMPCOL, from its own reserves increased its share capital to Rs.100 lakh.
Of the 48 public sector undertakings owned by the Government of Tamil Nadu, TAMPCOL has emerged as one of the four PSUs continuously declaring 100 per cent dividend, officials said.
New sales centre in Chennai
On Monday morning, Health Minister MRK Panneerselvam cut a ribbon to formally open a new building/sales centre of TAMPCOL in the Siddha Institute in Anna Nagar.
He also launched a medicine kit for Chikungunya and inaugurated a new residence for a Resident Medical Officer, thus making one practitioner available round the clock.
Workers unrest
Meanwhile, over 60 workers attached to TAMPCOL, expressing unhappiness over their pay scales, have threatened to go on a fast-unto-death unless their demand for increased remuneration is met.
The workers, who are pharmacy assistants who help make the drugs, complained that they have been fixed on a basic pay of Rs.1,900.
“After all the deductions put together, we get to take only a maximum of Rs.3,500 home,” U. Elumalai said, on behalf of all the workers. This, after having served in the company since 1985, he added. Ever since the factory shifted to Alappakkam, the transportation expenses have also gone up substantially.
“If the company is making profits, are we not responsible for that? Why should the government not take our demands into consideration, and increase our basic? With all the inflation, it is impossible to make ends meet on a salary which never goes beyond Rs.3,600,” complained K. Sivalingam, one of the workers.
Several representations have been made, repeatedly, to subsequent governments, but their woes have never been addressed, the workers complained.
