Lawmakers unhappy with plan panel on drug price control

"The committee is not at all happy with the casual approach of the Planning Commission in delaying the four schemes proposed for strengthening and monitoring of prices of drugs and pharmaceuticals,” said panel attached to the chemical and fertilisers ministry.

The panel, headed by BJP leader Ghopinath Munde, in its report tabled in parliament Aug 26 also demanded to know from the plan panel “the precise reasons for not granting in-principle approval to the four schemes” proposed by National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) to arrest drug prices.

The panel also said the department of pharmaceuticals was not making sincere efforts to seek plan panel's approval for the NPPA schemes. "The committee also takes strong exception to the lack of vigorous efforts on the part of the department for obtaining in-principle approval of all the schemes,” said the panel, asking the department to “wake up and take concrete measures at the highest level.”

The lawmakers expressed their anguish over the plan panel's refusal to approve some well-meaning schemes of the NPPA, the country's apex body responsible for fixing and revising prices of drugs and formulations.