Hyderabad, Feb. 2: Public sector major Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd (BHEL) has donated Rs 2.5 crore for the relief of flood victims in Andhra Pradesh.
Accompanied by the BHEL chairman, Mr B.P. Rao, the Union minister for heavy industries and public enterprises, Mr Vilasrao Deshmukh, met AP Chief Minister, Mr K. Rosaiah, and handed over the cheque.
Hundreds of people have died and over 13 lakh people were affected in five districts of Andhra Pradesh following unprecedented floods in the Krishna river basin in October last year. It caused losses worth crores to the state’s exchequer.
The PSU major said it has always been in the forefront in relief work as part of the corporate social responsibility. It had also contributed for relief work in the tsunami-affected states, earthquake in Gujarat and the super cyclone in Orissa.
AGE Correspondent
***
Swine flu vaccine in April
Age Correspondent
Hyderabad
Feb. 2: Biotech major Bharat Biotech International hopes to bring out swine (H1N1) vaccine in April. The city-based biotech firm was one of the three firms that the government had selected for developing India’s indigenous swine flu vaccine. The other two are Serum Institute of India and Panacea Biotech..
The chairman, Mr Krishna M. Ella, said his company is concluding phase 1 trial. "We have vaccinated 160 people as part of the trial and would begin phase 2 and 3 in the next month. The vaccine will be ready in April," he said. The company, he said, will invest Rs 325 crore in clinical research of new vaccines and for setting up of a new manufacturing facility in Hyderabad over two years.