The Union consumer affairs ministry has ignored the Ayush department's plea for treating Ayurveda, Sidha & Unani (ASU) industry at par with allopathic drugs for exempting ASU units from Standards of Weights & Measures (Packaged Commodities) Rules 1977. It is mandatory for the ASU manufacturers to mention on the medicine label, details like the name, address, telephone number, e-mail address, if available, of the person who can be contacted in case of consumer's complaint.

According to sources, the consumer affairs ministry has ignored the Ayush departments plea for exemption of ASU industry from Weights & Measures Rules on the plea that it has to first take care of the interests of the consumers. Consumer affairs ministry is of the view that enough opportunity has been given to the industry to comply with the amended rules.

Though the issue has been there for some time, it took a serious turn recently when the retailers started returning the stocks of Indian system of medicines (ISM) for failure to comply with the Rules. The retailers' actions came in the wake of their apprehension that they may be trapped in legal wrangles if they stock the ISM medicines without proper labelling as per the amended rules.

As the issue took a serious turn, the ASU industry sought Union health ministry's intervention to coordinate with the consumer affairs ministry to speed up the proposal of exemption of ASU industry from the provisions of standards of Weights & Measures (Packaged Commodities) Rules 1977.

In fact, the Union health ministry had earlier supported the industry's demand and had made recommendations in industry's favour. In a letter to the consumer affairs ministry some time back, the Ayush department wrote, 'As per the rules in vogue, the allopathic drugs are exempted from the Standards of Weights & Measures (Packaged Commodities) Rules 1977 and clause (e) of the Rule 34 of said Rule. The Ayurveda, Sidha & Unani (ASU) drugs needed to be treated at par with allopathic drugs with the same premise and be exempted from Standards of Weights & Measures (Packaged Commodities) Rules 1977'.

But, the consumer affairs ministry has so far refused to entertain the Ayush departments plea and has ignored all its appeals in the industry's favour.

Besides Ayush department, the Ayurvedic Drug Manufacturers' Association (ADMA), had also made several representations to the ministry in this regard, pleading that the medicines manufactured by the ASU industry are governed by labelling provisions as stated in Rule 161 of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940 and Rules 1945.