Amid apprehensions of further delay in the finalization of the National Pharmaceutical Policy and indications from the Government for its commitment on price control, the Group of Ministers (GoM) formed by the Prime Minister, has kicked off its exercise of scrutinizing the draft policy.

More than two months after the Cabinet referred the controversial policy to the GoM, the some of the panel members had some interactions informally on the draft proposals recently and thus set the ball rolling for finalizing the policy.

Consumer Affairs and Agricultural Minister Sharad Pawar, who heads the seven-member panel, got a detailed briefing from the senior officials from the Chemicals Ministry this week on the issues and proposals in the policy, according to the sources.

However, it was just first level of interactions and the meeting of the full panel is yet to be held formally. The chairman and the members of the committee wanted to get a feel of the draft in the present form, sources said.

Though industry observers pointed out that it would take a long time before the final copy of the Pharma Policy 2006 is ready for announcement, the Government has reiterated its stand to implement it at the earliest, and that too with control on drug prices.

"The National Pharmaceutical Policy, aimed at ensuring availability of life-saving drugs at reasonable prices, is being finalised and will be implemented shortly," said the Economic Survey, much to the wishes of the industry.

The industry, however, is hoping for the best as they consider Pawar as a pro-industry man and is expecting him to help the industry face the competition at the global level and emerge strong with less control on prices.

The GoM has Chemicals and Fertilisers Minister Ram Vilas Paswan, Commerce and Industry Minister Kamal Nath, Health Minister Anbumani Ramdoss, Science and Technology Minister Kapil Sibal, Law Minister HR Bhardwaj and deputy chairman of the planning commission Montek Singh Ahluwalia as members. The Cabinet on January 11 had referred the policy to the panel, after industry and the Chemicals Ministry took contrasting stands on the price control issue.