The Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has admitted that there are 63 applications mostly of Chinese suppliers pending for registration with the office of the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) as on June 2003.

In reply to a Rajya Sabha query on whether there the registrations pertaining to the Chinese origin companies are being withheld for more than three to four months, the ministry has clarified that the department is making all attempts to issue the Registration Certificates within the prescribed time limit. It clarified that as per Government of India Notification NO.GSR 604 (E) dated 24.8.2001, processing period of 9 months to 1 years has been provided for issuance of Registration Certificate, subject to the all documents required under the Notification being provided by the applicants.

According to the ministry, many applications including those of Chinese manufacturers, lack proper documentation.

"The documentation received have been found to be inadequate and clarifications have been sought. In all cases where the documents have been reasonably satisfactory, registration certificates are being issued to the Chinese manufacturers," the government clarified.