More than 600 Ayurveda, Siddha and Unani (ASU) drug manufacturing units in Maharashtra will soon come under the radar of the Ayush department of the state Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as the deadline for complying with the amended Standards of Weights & Measures (Packaged Commodities) Rules 1977 has expired on March 31, 2008.

Though the Ayurvedic Drug Manufacturers' Association (ADMA) is running from pillar to post to exempt the ASU industry from the ambit of the amended Weights & Measures Rules on the plea that both Allopathic and ASU industry should be treated at par in the country, indications are that the government might not consider the demand of the ADMA.

All the products coming under cosmetics and Indian system of medicines (ISM) fall within the parameters of the Weights & Measures Rules, 1977 and they do not fall under the Drugs & Cosmetics Act, 1940 as far as labelling is concerned. The government will soon start enforcing the rule, sources said.

After amending the Standards of Weights & Measures (Packaged Commodities) Rules 1977 and bringing the ASU industry in the list in 2006, the union consumer affairs ministry had given a time limit of December 31, 2007 to the ASU industries to comply with the rules. Amid ASU manufacturers' resistance to comply with the order, the Maharashtra government had earlier extended the date till March 31, 2008 for the changeover.

As per the amendment in the Standards of Weights & Measures (Packaged Commodities) Rules 1977, the ASU manufacturers have to mention details like the name, address, telephone number, e-mail address, if available, of the person who can be or the office which can be contacted, in case of consumer's complaint on the medicinal pack label, except declaration regarding MRP on every package. Though the amendment was made way back in July 2006, the ministry had extended the date to December 31, 2007 to comply with the new rules.