As the government is yet to notify the extension of the deadline for implementation of Schedule M by six months before the non-compliant, small scale drug units are concerned about their existence.

The SSIs are worried about the notification as many leading industry professionals and observers had expressed their displeasure over the continuing extensions of the deadline. They also fear a few senior officials in the department of health might take objection against granting further extension.

According to sources with the Confederation of Indian Pharmaceutical Industries (CIPI), the Union Health Minister is yet to sign the notification. The Union Health Minister Dr. Anbumani Ramadoss, who has come back from an overseas trip and is camping in Tamil Nadu to oversee the relief operations. With relief works being the priority, the minister so far has not attended any other office work.

"Although the minister is camping in Tamil Nadu, we are not disturbing him as he is busy with Tsunami relief operations. We are confident that the notification will come within a few days," said T S Jaishankar, chairman, CIPI, in Chennai.

The SSIs also anticipate the government to come up with further dilutions to Schedule M as demanded by the CIPI leadership. The officials, who listened to the arguments of the SSI delegation in a recent meeting in New Delhi, had assured them to consider their viewpoints. The DCGI is learnt to have instructed the CIPI leadership to come up with individual case problems the units face while implementing the Schedule M norms, than the outcry for further dilutions.