Jhenidah oral saline factory fails to start functioning in nine years

FE Team | Published: July 23, 2015 00:00:00 | Updated: November 30, 2026 06:01:00

Our Correspondent
JHENIDAH, July 22: Government orsaline factory in Jhenidah, the second one in Khulna division, another being in Jessore, could not go into operation after nine years of its handing over to the Department of Health here.
Md. Nazrul Islam, a medical assistant, responsible for looking after the factory building noted construction work of the two-storey factory building at a cost of Tk. 98,37,680 on the Sadar Upazila Health and Family Welfare Centre premises at Modanmohanpara was begun in 2004 and on completion of the work, the building was taken over by the department in 2006.
But as it remains abandoned for long, the building itself and the related things in it is suffering damage.
According to sources concerned the factory had already had some equipment to be installed in its 12-room two-storey building. However, the building has no permanent supply of electricity and water.
And if the power is cut off, the building with its fittings like water supply line, electric fans and wires, iron-made grills, glasses and different items of furniture and above all, expensive equipment will be vulnerable to robbery and other misdeeds by miscreants.
Founding the oral saline factory in Jhenidah was intended to meet up demand of saline in five districts of Khulna division, to name, Jhenidah, Magura, Kushtia, Chuadanga and Meherpur, sources said.
During emergency periods, an acute crisis of supply of the item happens to lead to scopes for private companies to raise price of their oral saline which people think unjustified.
Civil surgeon Md. Abdus Salam told the FE mainly for lack of manpower; the production centre cannot be run. "A proposal for creation of 53 posts has been sent to the higher authority for taking necessary steps, but any initiative is yet to be adopted until now," he added.
Many local people urged the authority concerned to take proper measures to make the saline factory functional in order to ensure the availability of oral saline at reasonable prices at the time of emergency when an outbreak of diarrhoea occurs in the region as well as to create job opportunities for a good number of unemployed youths.
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