The 'industry-friendly' Consumer Affairs Minister Sharad Pawar, heading the crucial Group of Ministers (GoM) on the National Pharmaceutical Policy, has brought some cheers to the pharma industry by offering them another chance what, they felt, was due for them to present their case.

At the first formal meeting, three months after its constitution, the GoM on Tuesday decided to invite the views of pharmaceutical companies, associations and non-government organisation working in the area before finalising the contentious policy, which seeks to control the prices of 354 drugs among other proposals.

The 7-member panel sat through an unfinished presentation by Chemicals and Fertilisers Secretary Satwant Reddy and decided to meet again sometime during the Parliamentary session.

"The meeting was inconclusive. We would meet again and give the pharma industry an opportunity to present their case. We are also considering inviting some NGOs for a presentation of their concerns,'' Pawar said after the meeting.

However, the first long-awaited meeting would give some smile to the industry which was aggrieved of not getting enough time to present their case well. The high-level committee, formed to iron out the issues with the industry, had submitted its report to the Minister as per the deadline on November 30, 2006 reportedly without waiting for the industry views on the contentious price control issue as promised.

Above the pharma industry expectations, `friendly' Pawar has announced his intentions to hear the industry views after the first meeting itself, which was just a preliminary session to get a clear look on the draft for the panel members. It may again put the much-delayed policy back into another long process of discussions, interactions and the usual efforts of arriving at consensus.

Commenting on the proceedings, the Minister for Chemicals and Petrochemicals Ram Vilas Paswan said that time was insufficient to complete all the presentations. For the next meeting we have said that it would need a few hours. He also reaffirmed his stand on price control on more drugs, which has been opposed by the industry.

"When Drug Price Control Order (DPCO) consisted of 74 drugs, they together covered about 50 per cent of the market. The 354 drugs we are talking today together cover only 20 per cent of the market,'' he claimed.

The members of the GoM include Chemicals Minister Ram Vilas Paswan, Commerce Minister Kamal Nath, Health Minister Anbumani Ramadoss, Science and Technology Minister Kapil Sibal, and Montek Singh Ahluwalia, deputy chairman, Planning Commission. The Cabinet had referred the policy to the GoM on Januaray 11, following the differences of opinion among the Ministries as well as the industry and other concerned groups with regard to expanding the purview of price control mechanism.