The row over the import of drugs through the Inland Container Depots of Thuglakabad and Patparganj in Delhi seems to be settling for good with the Drug Controller General directing the customs authorities and port officers to reinstate status quo, following a recent meeting to discuss the issue.

The port officers were directed to maintain status quo with respect to the NOCs granted for drugs imported in the country, after a high-level meeting chaired by the Member Secretary of the Central Board of Excise and Customs (CBEC) which took note of the hardships faced by the exporters and importers, sources said.

"At the meeting, it was decided that at places where CDSCO offices already exist and clearance are being given at the place, the same officer of CDSCO can give NOC to other customs facilities at the same place. Other ICDs can also be administratively allocated to the existing offices of CDSCO for giving NOC to imported drugs consignments and customs would permit clearance only on the basis of NOC issued by the Additional Customs Commissioner," the letter by the DCGI said.

Some exporters and importers have been faced with difficulties after the authorities restricted the imports of drugs through some ICDs including that in Delhi recently. Industry delegations and Indian Homeopathic Association have been trying to get the facility restored.

The DCGI said, the step was advised to the CBEC by his office after 'it came to his notice that some of the unscrupulous exporters are importing drugs in chemical name through un-notified ports to avoid registration which is a statutory requirement for general information. This was meant to ensure the quality of drugs imported into the country, the letter said.

"Based on this, the customs authorities have stopped clearing the consignments of drugs at the ICDs of Thuglakabad and Patparganj which has created a problem for all the importers and exporters of drugs and pharmaceuticals who were using the above ICDs," the DCGI letter explained.

The industry leaders who have been working for restoring the facility expressed hope that the letter from the DCGI would settle the row for the good and they would be able to get cleared the consignments as it was done before.

The CBEC in January issued the notification under the Rule 43A of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, excluding the ICDs of Delhi, Hyderabad and Ahmedabad from the list of ports of entry for drugs. Recently, the DCGI has also written to the customs to resume services of its officers to issue NOC to the consignments, after re-examining the whole matter in the light of representations from pharma bodies to the Ministry of Health.