Panel resents delay in pharma policy

The Parliamentary Consultative Committee of the Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilisers in India has expressed serious concern over inordinate delay in finalising the Pharmaceutical Policy. The committee has urged the Ministry to counter the lobby working against the policy.

The committee members said that poor people suffering under high inflation are unable to purchase basic medicines and the early passage of the policy and its implementation will bring the much needed relief to the poor.

The new Pharmaceutical Policy listed 354 drugs prepared by the Ministry of Health, which are considered as essential drugs, to be brought under the price control regime.

Members of the Consultative Committee also urged the government to increase production at the public sector undertakings under its control which can soften prices in the market.

Responding to the members, the Minister for Chemicals and Fertilisers Ram Vilas Paswan said that the government has already revived Hindustan Antibiotics, Hindustan Insecticide, BCPL and HOCL, while revival of IDPL was under the active consideration.

On the Petroleum, Chemicals and Petro Chemicals Investment Region (PCPIR) policy, the Minister said that the new policy will give fillip to investment in the sector and would expand employment opportunity.

The new policy provisioned world class infrastructure over an area of about 250 sq km in each investment region where the external linkages like airport, rail connectivity and national highways will be provided by the central government while the internal linkages will be the responsibility of the state government.

Processing zone will cover the 40 per cent area in each investment region, the minister said.

Paswan said that, under the new policy, land acquisition has to be done by the developer and added that the existing habitations will not be disturbed.

He said that so far six proposals have been received—one each from Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, West Bengal, Karnataka, Orissa and Tamil Nadu.

The members of the committee suggested flexibility on the requirement of 250 sq km considering the peculiarities of the local conditions.