Applications for Good Manufacturing Practice Certificates pending with the Licensing Authority office in the ISM Department in Chennai will be cleared on a war footing. Those which face no technical impediments will be cleared in this month itself, said the new State Licensing Authority for Indian System of Medicine (ISM).
The Directorate of ISM has appointed Dr S Kumar as the new Licensing Authority for Indian systems. He took charge as SLA on June 4.
An expert in Siddha system, Dr Kumar was working as professor in the government Siddha Medical College, Chennai. The appointment has made following the retirement of the former licensing authority, Dr S Sarojini Devi, who left the organization on May 31.
He said now the state has about 700 ISM units, out of which only 80 units have the GMP facilities. Twenty four units got the certificates only recently. These 80 companies are eligible to export their products to foreign countries. Now nearly 620 units are lacking GMP facilities in Tamil Nadu which is projected as the hub of Siddha medicines in the country.
His first preference is to clear the pending applications for which he sought the help of his office staff and the members of the industry. The SLA hopes more can be done within the tenure of his time to develop ISM sector in the state.
Regarding the financial constraints of small scale units, especially those in the southern districts, he said whatever the complaints or shortcomings they have, will be sorted out and place before the government for speedy settlement. Those who have no GMP certification, everything will be done to boost their domestic business. The department will support them in all possible ways, he said.
There were complaints from ISM manufacturers that the units were facing problems because of the lukewarm attitude of the department in initiating welfare measures for the industry. When put this complaint to the notice of the new SLA, he said he would extend all the help from his side.
For establishing GMP facilities, a unit has to spend more than Rs 40 lakh which most of the SSIs cannot afford now, said the industry sources.