AGARTALA, October 18 (TIWN): The hearing of alleged illegal allotment of tenders to a Himachal Pradesh-based pharmaceuticals company, and supply of “sub-standard” drugs scam of Tripura at Supreme Court is likely to be scheduled in the next month, said Tripura Pradesh Congress spokesperson Dr. Ashok Kumar Sinha, here today.

It is to be mentioned here that, the scam came to light when the Regional Drug Testing Laboratory, Guwahati discovered that eleven life-saving drugs manufactured by Himachal Pradesh-based M/S Vardhman Pharma that is administered within minutes in emergency cases, were fake.

Tripura Pradesh Congress spokesperson Dr. Ashok Kumar Sinha moved to the Supreme Court seeking CBI enquiry into the CPI (M) led state government’s procurement of ‘spurious’ and ‘sub-standard’ drugs supplied by the pharmaceutical drug manufacturer and distributor to the Tripura Health Services. Dr. Sinha claimed that the supplies had caused many patients’ deaths and unwanted physical ailments. The petition filed in the Supreme Court by Tripura Pradesh Congress spokesperson Dr. Ashok Sinha alleged that the state government and police had failed to act against the company and the officials responsible for issuing the contract. The state Health Department had approved Messrs Bardhaman Pharma, a drug manufacturing company based in Himachal Pradesh for government supplies in 2012-2013. The company was authorized to supply 11 varieties of drugs in the timeframe.

Earlier, the Supreme Court, in a notification, said that the Writ Petition would be posted for hearing before the Court in due course and the defendants may enter appearance before this Court either in person or through an advocate on record of the Court appointed by Vardhaman Pharma within 30 days from the issuance of the notice.