Despite repeated requests to the Tamil Nadu government by the ISM manufacturing units in the state to issue licences from the Commissionerate of Indian Systems of Medicine (ISM) for proprietary drugs and for renewals, the top officials in the department are allegedly showing lethargic attitude towards the industry and not processing their requests, people invested crores of rupees in the sector said.
It is learnt that several of the big and small ISM manufacturing units in Tamil Nadu have stopped operations due to non-issuance of licences for the last five years.
The industry people said though the government is industry-friendly, the top officers in the ISM department, especially the commissioner is not cooperating and supporting the industry. They said this attitude of the government officials started five years ago. The reason quoted for the suspension of grant of licences is compliance of a mandate from the central ayush department for carrying out clinical studies on new drugs.
Allegations are also raised against the association of ISM manufacturing units for its silence over the issues and the dormant nature it maintains without fighting against the lethargy of the bureaucracy for achieving the legitimate rights of the industry. About 220 manufacturing companies have suspended production of very important proprietary drugs. According to industry sources, more than ten companies have full-fledged GMP facilities. All the industrial units including those without GMPs have invested crores of rupees for their businesses which are now in a quandary.
“Government of India’s policies are not exclusively for Tamil Nadu. All other state governments are very much supporting the local pharma industries, especially traditional medicine sector. Here the government is initiating several steps to support us, but the officials in the department are not industry-friendly and not acting with a helping mind. We are unable to meet the ISM commissioner to apprise of the industry problems. Nobody in the department of ISM in Tamil Nadu is interested to heed our problems and find solutions. All the burning issues in the industry will be intimated to the chief minister and also to the union health minister”, said a manufacturer.
He said since the government is not granting licences, several companies have stopped production of various kinds of essential drugs and many hospitals and pharmacies are running short of important medicines including Nilavembu Kudineer, Mahavasnadi kwatha choornam and decoction powders.
In 2011, the manufacturers had submitted a project report to the state ISM department for the development of the sector, but no action was taken on it so far.
In April 2013, the then commissioner of ISM had called a meeting of manufacturers in his chamber and in the end of the meeting, with the support of the industry, he chalked out a plan to solve the issues faced by the industry. Following this, the department had started issuing licences, but soon it was stopped with the removal of the commissioner.
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