Somnath Chatterjee, the Speaker of Lok Sabha has demanded the union finance minister P Chidambaram to table all details of the MRP linked excise duty on pharmaceutical products in the forthcoming session of Lok Sabha.
The speaker informed the Confederation of Indian Pharmaceutical Industries (CIPI) that he has voluntarily asked the finance ministry to table the details in the forthcoming Lok Sabha session, considering the concerns raised by the industry association on the possibility of huge unemployment possibilities among the industry professionals in SSI sector, as a result of the decision. The budget session of Parliament will start within a few weeks.
The move has come as more music to the ears of SSIs, since United Progressive Alliance (UPA) Convener Sonia Gandhi had written personally to CIPI saying she would take up the matter with the finance minister. The finance ministry is yet to consider the grievances of the SSI units despite repeated representations on the matter.
CIPI had submitted an elaborated memorandum to the UPA Convener, Prime Minister, and to many leading MPs and decision makers, elaborating the plight of the SSI units following the Finance ministry's decision.
The memorandum said, the closure of about 15000 units would result in loss of employment for 16.50 lakh people in the country. Pharma industry is only second to IT industry in employment generation, and each SSI drug manufacturer having its own manufacturing unit provides employment to average 170 people while each loan licensee to 95 people on average, claimed CIPI.