The resident secretary of the local organizing committee (LoC), constituted for the 64th edition of the Indian Pharmaceutical Congress (IPC) to be held in Chennai from December 7 - 9, 2012, J Jayaseelan has allayed fears of any irregularity in the conduct of the premier annual event. “This year’s event will be held smoothly and transparently, and there will be no scope for allegation of any irregularity,” he said.

Responding to allegations against the conduct of the mega event by Indian Pharmaceutical Congress Association (IPCA), Jayaseelan assured that special attention will be given for proper implementation of scientific and other programs, and proper accounts statement will be kept, leaving no chance for any kind of embezzlement.

The major allegation raised by some members was about non-maintenance of proper accounting records of the income and expenditure of the previous IPC and IPA conferences. Circulation of such copies of records to the members was not done previously by the organizers, alleged a member of IPA, who was previously working in the drugs control department.

“This year proper accounts will be maintained and there have been no such charges made openly by any member against the organizers in all these years. I give 100 per cent guarantee for a transparent operation of accounts this year. Since it is a team work and five different associations are involved in the direction and control of the program, the allegation of non transparency does not exist,” Jayaseelan said.

He said this year the event will be organized by the Association of Pharmacy Teachers of India (APTI). But there are five associations, IPA, APTI, AIDCOC, IPGA and HPA who are organizing it on rotation basis and a committee called IPCA is constituted comprising members from all these associations. IPC accounts have to be submitted to IPCA and its council members should pass it. Prof A Chinnasami is the president of the IPCA this year.

Regarding the IPA convention that was held in Chennai in 2010, for which Jayaseelan was also the organizing secretary, he said the balance amount of the programme was deposited into an account of a Trust formed by the LoC members. He discarded all the allegations levelled against the Trust administration.

Meanwhile, S V Veeramani, the chairman of the LoC for the IPC 2012, said there was a balance amount of Rs.35 lakh from the IPA convention, 2010, for which also he was the LoC chairman. “The money was safely deposited in the account of the Pharmaceutical Trust formed for the welfare of the pharmacy profession. This Trust gives scholarship to around 20 M Pharm students every year, sponsors seminars and workshops, and above all it has a conference hall and a library which are being used by various pharma people,” Veeramani said.

He also maintained that there would be transparency in financial dealings and conduct of the programmes.

The IPC 2012 expects about 10,000 delegates from across the country and more than 100 speakers from abroad. According to Jayaseelan, the advantage of organizing the programme is that the LoC will get a share for their state body which can be used for the welfare of the pharmacy profession.

He said IPCA president Prof. Chinnasami has requested APTI to shift the venue to Chennai from Goa and the organizers have accepted it.

M S Rajendran, former director of Tamil Nadu Drugs Control Department and an active member of IPA said, in the beginning of the IPC there were exhibitions of various kinds of equipments, machineries and lab equipments. But now a days, the Congress has reduced into a convention of some manufacturers, pharmacy teachers and students only. He said no action is taken on the scientific resolutions presented in the Congress on various subjects, and there is no follow-up action from the organizers.

This year’s IPC will be held in Chennai from December 7 - 9 at the SRM University at Poroor.