Notwithstanding the fierce campaign unleashed by the SSIs, state FDAs, NGOs and others to stop it, the controversial Central Drug Authority (CDA) Bill may find its way to Parliament during the ongoing session itself as the Bill is learnt to have been listed on the Priority List of the Parliament's business for this session which is scheduled to sit till February 26.
According to sources, there are 32 Bills which are seeking Parliament's nod during this session. The government is resolved to pass as many Bills as possible in this session as this will most probably be the last session of this government as the general elections are due by April this year. In fact, the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) had earlier given instructions to all the central ministries to table all the pending Bills in the session.
That the Union health ministry is determined to pass the Bill during the ongoing session of Parliament is evident from the fact that the CDA Bill, which seeks to centralize licensing of manufacturing units under a Central Drug Administration (CDA), has been able to get the Bill listed under the Priority List.
Meanwhile, the SSIs, NGOs and other organisations like AIDCOC camped in the national capital and campaigned against the Bill on the eve of Parliament session. They are learnt to have met several MPs and Ministers and impressed upon them the need to stop the Bill to save the small and medium enterprises in the country.
Apart from the introduction of the Bill in Parliament, what is curiously being watched by the industry and other stakeholders in this redrafted Bill is whether the government has incorporated the amendments suggested by the Parliamentary standing committee on health headed by Amar Singh which opposed the formation of a totally new central authority but called for strengthening the existing set-up to streamline the sector by setting up Central Drug Administration.
Sources said that the Parliamentary Committee's recommendations are not binding on the government and it has the discretionary power to accept it or reject it. Though the Amar Singh panel has recommended to strengthen the existing system, there is apprehension among the stakeholders about the intention of the government in rushing through the Bill.
There is fear among them that since the ongoing session is a short one, the Bill may be passed even without any discussion in Parliament just on the lines of Spurious Drugs Bill which was passed in "one minute one bill" fashion in the last Parliament session in October, 2008. The industry also fears that since the Bill does not have any political overtones, the MPs may not raise any voice against the Bill.