KUMARHATTI: “The central health ministry has taken the decision to close CRI under pressure from MNCs. The move was an apparent example to disintegrate the indigenous industries to make way for MNCs.†While stating this in a meeting of CRI Employees’ Union at Kasauli today, Mr. Jagdish Bhardwaj the state AITUC Chief has alleged that it was a plot by a country leading Health Management Company to force health ministry to close CRI by paying bribery at large scale.
He blamed nexus between MNCs and health ministry officials to facilitate the closure of CRI by projecting wrong inputs.
The meeting was called upon by the CRI union to chalk out the further course of action after the decision taken by the central government to close it down. In meeting besides office bearers of local Beopar Mandal and NGOs the local leaders of political parties including sitting BJP MLA from Kasauli, Dr Rajeev Saizal were also invited.
Mr. Bhardwaj said that the government policies to support the globalization have come as major setback to domestic institutions. The more inclination to support the MNCs culture in country was proving costly to workers class in country who were losing jobs at fast pace now, he asserted.
He said, it was really a sad development for state and nation whole as an institute like CRI who was known as referral center for dog bite and snakebite cases of North India would no more be in vaccinations manufacturing.
Over the year the CRI has established itself as foremost institute for control, standardization and research in the field of Immunobiologicals, he pointed out. The institute was also famous all over world for contributing a great deal of knowledge with regard to several bacterial and viral diseases prevalent in tropical countries. The institute has done commendable work in rabies, cholera, snakebite, typhoid and other salmonella infections like plague, malaria, typhus, relapsing fever, TB and influenza. In nation medical research history the CRI holds special place, he maintained.
The CRI has long list of landmarks in medical research history of country. It was really the sad moments as hundred of employees could now face severe problem. The decision was taken in haste without considering its serious repercussions, he remarked.
He further said that it would be more prudent to make CRI more infrastructural sound than to shut it down. At present, Rs. 20 cr vaccinations were lying ready in CRI. The government should arrange another Rs. 20 cr and use this all amount to renovate the CRI for international standard, he added.
Dr. Saizal asserted that he would discuss the matter with CM. The institution should not be closed in such manner, he said while expressing his full support to CRI workers. Mr. Ramesh Chauhan, a senior leader of Congress said that the matter would be highlighted in parliament through Col. (Retd) Dhani Ram Shandil the MP from area. The matter would also be brought forward before PMO office, he asserted.
