The Bulk Drug Manufacturers Association (BDMA) in Andhra Pradesh has appointed Krishna Reddy as its new executive director (ED). Earlier, KV Ranga Rao who served as ED of the association had retired from his services on 31st March 2012. Krishna Reddy is a scientist and had served IICT in various capacities during the past 28 years. Retired as a deputy director from the elite organization he has taken up charge as ED of the association in April 2012.
Taking up the new post at the BDMA office in Hyderabad Krishana Reddy had set some important goals and decided to resolve all the pending issues of the industry with the government. The bulk drug industry is facing a host of problems. Many of the problems are related regulatory issues and product licensing. The regulatory authorities are taking more time in clearing the licenses and imposing new regulations for giving licenses to the new products.
“The government in the state has imposed a ban on the expansion of industry 15 years back. The main problem the government had cited then was environmental pollution. In the past 15 years things have changed many folds. Today the industry players are using most sophisticated in house effluent treatment plants and have reduced the pollution discharges drastically. Therefore the government should take all these things into consideration and lift the ban so that the industry will flourish and gain its lost glory once again in the state,” said Krishana Reddy, ED, BDMA.
Other local problems that are faced by the industry in the state are power and water related. The government had totally failed in providing uninterrupted power for the industry, because of which there is a drastic downfall in the productivity of the industry.
The industry is also facing problems from extortionists in the name of NGOs and local political organizations. “The industry is being harassed by local organizations and extortionists. During agitations, we have to just close our premises for the fear of disruption and because of which we have incurred huge losses. So we demand the government to provide adequate security for the industry,” said K V Ranga Rao, ex-ED, BDMA.
Highlighting his achievements during past 3 years as ED, Ranga Rao said, “I have held a series of meetings with DCA and PCB officials and have got assurances from them regarding reduction of 22 stages of clearances for product renewals and new licensing, which used to take 1-2 months. Now new renewals and product license can be done in just a week’s time. For this purpose the DCA had agreed for online applications from the industry players. This process will be more transparent and takes very less time for getting the clearance from the regulatory authorities,” said Rao.