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New Delhi, Mar 24: Alleging that the Drugs and Cosmetics (Amendment) Bill-2007 is an attempt to “encroach upon state governments’ rights," the CPI(M) said that the legislation provides no measures to check manufacturing and selling of spurious drugs. The party also said that its views will be “put forward” at the Parliamentary Standing Committee on health, which is studying the Bill at present. It also maintained that the “whole purpose of the Bill is to hand over the Central Drugs Authority to MNCs and big drug companies."
“The Bill neither contains any clause to check manufacturing and selling of spurious drugs nor there is any deterrent clause providing stronger punishment for these. The Bill only proposes central licensing," CPI(M) central committee member JS Majumdar said in an article in party’s mouthpiece, People’s Democracy.
“This Bill proposes to take over the drug licensing right from the state government and hand it over to the central government. If this amendment is passed by the parliament and drug licensing is centralised, thousands of small and medium sector drug manufacturing companies all over India will not be able to get their licenses and will be forced to close down; thousands of workers will lose jobs, and the self-employed will be deprived of their livelihood," Majumdar said in the article.
“Moreover the state governments will face difficulties in procurement of generic medicines and their health programmes will be seriously affected. Multinational and big companies will be monopolising the drug market,” he alleged.
Talking to FE a senior leader of the CPI(M) said that the party will not allow the Bill be passed in Parliament. “At present the Bill is at the Standing Committee. Left MPs in the committee will put forward our views in the committee,” he said.
“The implications of the Bill are far reaching. It also raises the question on the future role of the State drug control mechanism; the licensing and control on drug distribution and sale etc. The critical area of outsourced clinical trials will be in the hands of CDA controlled and directed by drug companies. It will seriously affect national and states’ health programmes,” Majumdar added.
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