354 drugs to be put under price control
16.05.2006

New Delhi: Union chemicals and fertilisers minister Ram Vilas Paswan on Tuesday said his ministry was contemplating to increase the number of drugs under price control to 354 from the current 74 and would be seeking Cabinet approval for the same.

"We have prepared a draft note, which is expected to be put before the Cabinet within this month and which recommends to include 354 essential medicines under price control," Paswan told PTI here.

The move is aimed at making essential drugs available to the common man at comparatively lower prices, he said. "We are also in talks with various drug manufacturing companies to donate life saving drugs which could be used for the treatment of the economically weaker sections of society, who cannot afford those drugs," he said. The ministry is also working on halving the excise duty in states where it is currently 16 per cent, to eight per cent. The move would help provide a level playing field for drug manufacturers across the country, he said.

"It would reduce shifting of drug manufacturing facilities to the states that offer zero duty," Paswan said. Paswan also said the government will push the bilingual labelling of medicine in English and Hindi for the "convenience" of customers.

"The government has already asked drug manufacturing companies to put the name and price of the drug in Hindi (besides English) as well. It is for the convenience of people," he said.

The order should be strictly followed from October 2, 2006, by drug manufacturing companies, he said.

Courtesy : PTI
16.5.2006

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