The Indian Drug Manufacturers' Association (IDMA) has raised its concerns on the stringent tendering criteria set by the public sector companies for purchase of medicinal products as the move apparently affects the small and medium enterprises (SMEs).

In a latest development, the Association has protested against the stringent tendering criteria laid down by the South Eastern Coalfields Ltd (SECL). The company, a subsidiary of Coal India Ltd, has made valid WHO Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) certificate product-wise or duly notarised copy Certificate of Pharmaceutical Product (CoPP) as mandatory eligibility criteria for the pharma companies to supply medicines to SECL.

Pointing out that the pharma units, across the board, have already complied with the revised Schedule M which mandates almost all the standards set by the WHO for their GMP, the IDMA comments that the move restricts some of its SME members from participating in the tender. The manufacturers strictly follow the norms as per the Indian Pharmacopoeia, which ensures the quality of product as per the standards.

"We appeal to you to kindly protect the small scale pharma industries through suitable policies which would encourage them to grow and to frame policies which would benefit all, without compromising the quality standards," demanded IDMA to the company. The association urged the company to implement a policy with retrospective effect to ensure that WHO GMP certificate does not limit any applicant as a qualification, for tendering.

The SECL has its coal mines in five districts in Chhattisgarh consisting of Bilaspur, Korba, Raigarh, Surguja and Korea and three districts Shahdol, Umaria and Anuppur district in Madhya Pradesh. According to the information available, each area calls for medicine tenders separately and areas like Surguja and Annuppur purchases almost Rs 35,000 worth medicines in every six month through tenders.

The SMEs has been facing such stringent measures for applying tenders in various government-run firms including Indian Railways, reminded IDMA sources. The association, last year, has raised its voice against the Union Railway Ministry's move of implementing Rs 50 crore turnover restrictions on pharma companies for participating in the tenders for supplying medicines to different hospitals under the Indian Railways.