Gujarat attracts UK drug companies GANDHINAGAR, Oct 2 — Development of infrastructure in the health sector in Gujarat holds a major attraction for many British companies, according to John Lawnds, deputy Head-India desk in the British Government.

ST laws need amendments in Haryana
THE recently introduced law in the form of rule 28-B to the Haryana General Sales Tax Rules, 1975, which lays down the procedure for the grant of tax exemption or deferment to the new industrial units, has virtually become the source of undue harassment to the entrepreneurs primarily because of an unreasonable condition imposed by sub-clause (VI) of clause (f) of sub-rule (2).

Maruti bags gold trophy for export
NEW DELHI, Oct 2 — Maruti Udyog has been awarded the gold trophy for export performance in 1996-97 in Star Trading House Category by the Federation of Indian Export Organisations.

Graduate from textile to garment exports: Oswal
From A.S. Prashar
Tribune News Service

LUDHIANA, Oct 2 — Mr S.P. Oswal, a leading textiles industrialist of the country and chairman of Texcon ‘99, has emphasised that India must graduate from textiles to garments exports if it wants to survive and claim a significant share of the world trade in this commodity in the next millennium.

“Garments have overtaken textiles exports all over the world”, he noted in talk with TNS as also during a presentation on the proposed international exhibition on textile technology to be held at Chandigarh from December 2 to 6. “In India, it is still the textiles industry which was dominating the exports. We will therefore have to give a big push in the direction of garments exports.”

In this connection, he mentioned that China had made rapid progress in exports. In the 1960’s, China’s exports constituted only 4 per cent of the world trade while that of India constituted 2.2 per cent Today, India’s exports stood at only 3 per cent while that of China had climbed to 12 per cent.

Potential for future of the clothing industry was tremendous. The total world trade in garments today stood at US$ 170 billion. It would rise to US$ 400 billion by the year 2010. Two-thirds of the world’s textiles at present came from the USA and European Union. But in the near future, garments business would be shifting to countries like China, India, Malaysia, Thailand, Sri Lanka etc. If India could grab even 7 per cent of the market, it would translate into annual export earnings of US$ 28 billion from garments alone.

In order to make a dent in the world market, the Indian textile industry must come together and work out a strategy for the new millennium. With this end in view, a five-day mega event titled Textech ’99 — International Exhibition on Textile Technology — is being organised at Chandigarh from December 2 to 6 under the auspices of the CII (northern region). It will be inaugurated by the Union Minister for Textile. Spread over an area of 16,000 sqm, Textech’99 has been designed as technology show window for the entire textile industry. Spinning machines and accessories for cotton, synthetic, woollen and worsted, yarn processing machines; weaving preparatory machines and looms; knitting lace, braiding and netting machines; fabric processing, synthetic fibre and filament manufacturing machines etc form part of the exhibition scope. Over 150 international and domestic exhibitors have already confirmed their participation.

The highlight of the exhibition will be a three-day international conference on textile and clothing titled Texcon ’99. The speakers include a galaxy of international experts from Japan, Brazil, Germany, US, Hong Kong, Italy, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. Besides Mr Shyamal Ghosh, Secretary, Textile, Government of India, Mr G.P. Gupta, Chairman and Managing Director, IDBI and Mr Narasimhan, Chairman and Managing Director, IFCI, will also speak.

Woolex ’99 — an exclusive exhibition on wool and winter wear — will also be held concurrently for the benefit of the public at large. A unique fashion show is also being put together by a fashion academy of New Delhi. According to Mr Piyush Bahl, Senior Director, CII, the northern region has attracted a fair amount of investment in the textile sector during the past few years and it is, therefore, appropriate that this convention is being held in Chandigarh.

MTNL launches mobile services in Delhi, Mumbai
Tribune News Service

NEW DELHI, Oct 2 — Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Limited (MTNL) today launched its mobile phone services based on wireless in local loop (WLL) technology in Delhi and Mumbai after having achieved necessary clearances from the Government.

The MTNL mobile phone entails a monthly rental of Rs 600 ( Rs 475 from November 1), a tariff of Rs 1.40 for a three minute call. All incoming calls are free and the user will have to give Rs 10,000 as refundable security deposit for the handset.

Private cellular operators, however, have criticised the move to allow MTNL to provide mobile services and sought “MTNL like conditions”.

The Government has refuted the charges that the licence provided to MTNL does not provide a level playing field to other service providers and said that MTNL, like any other operator, had the freedom of choice of technology.

“As specifically provided in National Telecom Policy ’99, any cellular mobile service provider (CMSP) can provide any type of network equipment.

The Government has also clarified that MTNL will maintain separate accounts and other necessary documentation for its cellular services operations and said that MTNL’s entry will be allowed under conditions to similar to those of private cellular operators.Currently , cellular operators are required to share 15 per cent of their annual gross revenues.

“Interconnect revenue sharing arrangement for cellular services for payment of access charges between DoT and MTNL for STD and ISD traffic will be same as applicable to the other private operators”, the Government statement said.

Meanwhile, the Delhi Science Forum (DSF) has criticised campaign launched by the Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI) against allowing MTNL to provide cheap cellular services in Delhi and Mumbai.

The DSF said that while cellular operators have claimed the capital costs to be Rs 80,000 per line, MTNL has shown that the capital cost per line in cellular services is only Rs 20,000 and therefore comparable to the cost of providing basic services.

With both the government and (TRAI) accepting these claims at face value,the TRAI has accepted these costs to set tariff of Rs 4 per unit for airtime along high rentals.

Stating that by acceding to COAI’s arguments against MTNL’s entry repeatedly, the DSF said that TRAI is only continuing a duopoly regime and not helping competition. “ The Calling Party Pays (CPP) regime will see the low end basic service subscriber subsidise the high-end cellular users”, the DSF added.

Pak floats bonds to raise $ 2.8 bn
By Muhammad Najeeb

ISLAMABAD, Oct 2 — The Pakistani Government expects to net $2.8 billion (Rs. 150 billion) from six new high value prize bonds that have been put up for sale from today.

Old bonds worth Rs. 81 billion are to be taken out of circulation in a phased programme by the middle of next year and the government is hopeful that despite imposition of wealth tax, this money will be re-ploughed in the scheme.

A spokesman for the Central Directorate of National Savings (CDNS) told IANS that an increase in the prize money and number of prizes still make the bonds an attractive and easy scheme. Bankers feel caution is called for. “The only thing the government has to ensure is to protect the credibility of the draws and also the bonds against forgeries to avoid multi-claims and disputes,” Qayyum Nisar, a retired banker who served in government-owned Habib Bank as senior vice-president, said.

The CDNS spokesman said a committee headed by a deputy governor of the State Bank of Pakistan is keeping a close watch over the draw process to protect its credibility and transparency and will gauge the public reactions when the draws are assigned to the computers.

Nisar noted that the CDNS has been very sensitive to public reaction to the draws during its 38 years of operation even though the transparency of the draws has not been questioned by a single investor yet.

The CDNS spokesman said the new bonds are being printed on special security paper and, except for one series, will be on specially imported paper, making it difficult for forgers to duplicate the government issues.

The bonds being phased out were printed on ordinary paper and, because of their success, some expert engravers had forged them. Four cases of forged Rs. 1,000 bonds had surfaced in the State Bank of Pakistan and even the Pakistan Security Printing Works of Karachi had difficulty in separating them from the genuine bonds.

One of the distinguishing features of the new bonds will be a portrait of Pakistan’s founder, Mohammed Ali Jinnah, in watermark that will be different from the one found on currency notes, making forgery impossible, the CDNS spokesman said. Unlike the present system where one draw is conducted and the numbers composed are valid for all series of the prize bonds, the CDNS will be conducting separate draws for every block. — IANS

Gujarat attracts UK drug companies

GANDHINAGAR, Oct 2 (PTI) — Development of infrastructure in the health sector in Gujarat holds a major attraction for many British companies, according to John Lawnds, deputy Head-India desk in the British Government.

Lawnds said the areas of particular interest to them included medical education, diagnostic centres, surgical equipments and pathology laboratories.

Participating in the discussions on British collaboration in the health care system in Gujarat at a meeting held here yesterday, Lawnds said there was ample scope for middle-level British drug companies to enter into joint ventures with local entrepreneurs for manufacturing latest drugs and pharmaceuticals in Gujarat.

G. Subha Rao, Principal Secretary, Industries and Mines Department, said health care was an important sector which the Gujarat Government would develop as part of industrial promotional activities.

Mr K.N. Shelat, Industries Commissioner, and Mr S.K. Nanda, Managing Director, Gujarat State Financial Corporation, said the healthcare sector was looking up in Gujarat, adding that there were many incentives available to those who wanted to invest in this area, according to an official release here.

ST laws need amendments in Haryana
by A.K. Sachdeva

THE recently introduced law in the form of rule 28-B to the Haryana General Sales Tax Rules, 1975, which lays down the procedure for the grant of tax exemption or deferment to the new industrial units, has virtually become the source of undue harassment to the entrepreneurs primarily because of an unreasonable condition imposed by sub-clause (VI) of clause (f) of sub-rule (2).

What precisely this law requires of every unit desirous of claiming the benefit of tax exemption or deferment under Section 13-B of the Haryana General Sales Tax Act, 1973 is “Permission” for the change of land use from “the authorities concerned” for conversion of agricultural use into non-agricultural use. How to obtain this “permission”? Who are “the authorities concerned” within the meaning of this sub-clause? And what is the relevancy of this statutory requirement in the matter of the grant of incentives? Neither rule 28-B nor the authorities entrusted with the job of issuing the eligibility certificates to the eligible industrial units for the purposes of providing the intended benefits provide appropriate answers to these significant questions that naturally arise in everyone’s mind on perusal of the scheme formulated by the State Government. The process of adjudication of the applications for the grant of eligibility certificates in terms of this rule has practically come to a standstill throughout the State owing to non-compliance of this incompliable requirement of law. Consequently, the units whose applications are locked up in the process, which according to the dates available in the District Industrial Centres in the State are thousands in numbers, are passing through a very critical situation. Despite all this, the State Government appears to be simply maintaining silence over the issue.

It is interesting to note in this context that an entrepreneur setting up a new unit in the State is required to approach the respective General Manager of the District Industries Centre twice over. Firstly, for obtaining a “provisional certificate of registration” to the effect that he intends to establish a unit in the State. Secondly, when the process of installation of plant and machinery etc is concluded, in order to obtain the “permanent registration certificate” commonly known as “PMT”. The requirement of obtaining “Permission” for change of land use from “the authorities concerned” is never pressed into service upto the stage issuing the “permanent registration certificate”. It is only when the case relating to the grant of eligibility certificate for the purpose of availing of the benefit of tax exemption or deferment comes up for consideration before the appropriate committee, namely, screening committees that the unit is called upon to bring the “permission” from the “authorities concerned”. The question then arises is if a certificate of permanent registration to the unit has been issued under the existing norms why can’t the benefit of tax exemption or deferment be provided over in the absence of “permission” from “the authorities concerned” as far as change of land use is concerned? Once a unit comes to be permanently recognised by the General Manager, District Industries Centre (a competent authority), there seems to be no logic in the requirement of getting “permission” from “the authorities concerned” at a later point of time. More particularly when this requirement serves no purpose to the State except creating irrational impediment in the smooth functioning of the units? It is therefore not understandable as to how this important aspect has not so far been taken up for consideration by the State Government if it really wishes to ensure industrial growth in the State?

The authorities placed at the higher position do not satisfactorily explain the relevancy of this particular condition. They why this meaningless requirement continues to exist on the statute book? It may not be out of place to mention here that representations made to the State Government on this point went unheeded which apparently is a unfair treatment to the units in the State.

What is more ironic is the fact that certain appeals against rejection of claim of benefit of tax by the lower level screening committees on the ground of non-production of “permission” from “the authorities concerned” for change of land use also came up for consideration before the High Level Screening Committee which is known as the apex body. The issue arose in the context of rule 28-A (old rule 28-A) whether the units were entitled to the grant of eligibility certificate in the absence of “permission” from “the authorities concerned”.

It was announced in the open that the appeals have been allowed quashing the condition imposed by the lower level screening committee as to the grant of the eligibility certificate. However, the units were taken aback when the copies of the decisions communicated to them carried the orders to the contrary in the sense that the appeals stood dismissed. From these facts one hardly sees seriousness of the State Government to promote industrialisation in Haryana.

Maruti bags gold trophy for export

NEW DELHI, Oct 2 (PTI) — Maruti Udyog has been awarded the gold trophy for export performance in 1996-97 in Star Trading House Category by the Federation of Indian Export Organisations (FIEO).

MUL exported 35,031 units of passenger cars in 1996-97, registering a growth of 34 per cent over its export performance in the previous year, a company release said here yesterday.

Foreign exchange earnings from exports also grew by 54 per cent to touch Rs 565.1 crore in 1996-97, the highest ever export recorded by Maruti in a single year.

The company has also been granted the Golden Start Trading House status by the Commerce Ministry. It had earlier achieved the Export House status in 1991, the Trading House status in 1993 and the Star Trading House status in 1996.

Hughes Software Systems

Hughes Software Systems Limited (HSSL) is the first company in the capital market to issue shares through the book-building route. The offer comprises a book-building portion of 39.38 lakh shares of Rs 10 priced between Rs 480 and Rs 630 per share, besides a Fixed Price Portion of 4.37 lakh equity shares. The final rate arrived at through the book-building route will become the fixed price in the latter portion. The bids are on to be followed by the book-building exercise which is scheduled to close on October 7, 1999 and the fixed price offer which is scheduled to close on October 12, 1999.

The financial track record of the group and the company in particular has been fairly impressive and given such a backdrop, there is little reason to downplay its projections. It seems quite likely that the EPS for the current financial year could be close to Rs 16 and were the markets to accord it the kind of P/E multiples that have been accorded to some of the other large software companies, the potential for a sharp price upswing cannot be ruled out especially since the Hughes MNC tag is associated with it. It is also worth nothing here that HSSL has achieved an annualised weighted average return on average net worth of close to 40 per cent over the past 3 years, which is impressive to say the least. The affiliation with the Hughes group and its usage of the Hughes brand name stands the company in good stead and will undoubtedly go a long way towards enhancing its future prospects. HSSL is well-placed to cash in on the inevitable telecom boom in India.

Again, it is worth nothing here that HSSL’s unique status as a software service vendor to telecom service providers, equipment sellers and telecom consultants gives it a sharp cutting edge over most of its contemporaries in the industry.

However, investors would do well to note that nearly three-fourth or 74 per cent of HSSL’s revenues for the financial year 1998-99 comprised revenues from Hughes Network Systems. Now, such a client concentration does not augur very well for its potential shareholders. It will be interesting to watch as to what level this dependence will stand at the end of this financial year. Another bothersome point revolves around the potential conflict of interest between HSSL and its largest shareholder, Hughes Electronics whose subsidiary Hughes Network Systems is HSSL’s major source of revenue. Like most other promoters entering the primary market, HSSL’s promoters too have helped themselves to a bonus issue in the ratio of 3:2 thus skimming off some of the company’s reserves.

An investment in this issue could provide good returns and is hence recommended.

Vintage Cards

Issue opens/closes: 30.9.99/6.10.99
Size: Rs 28.36 crore

This offer for sale which is being made to the investing public by Blueberry Holdings Mauritius Limited whose post-offer equity stake will stand reduced from 39 per cent to 25 per cent. Vintage Cards & Creations Ltd. (VCCL) USP is obviously the fact that it has a tie-up with Hallmark which has helped it achieve a 40 per cent market share in the premium card segment. It has also chalked up plans to foray into the other three major sub-segments in this industry, which are the lower end, institutional sales and gifts. The fact that it is really the Hallmark brand name that is prominently displayed at all its outlets could effect the company temporarily in the event that the tie-up snaps. However, Hallmarks is not known to have a propensity to snap its tie-ups and furthermore its association with VCCL obviously fits well into its scheme of things and is typical of its international modus operandi. The other two plus points as far as VCCL is concerned is its brand licensing agreement with the Walt Disney group through WD Consumer products and its agreement with the Cancer Patients Aid Association (CPAA). However, its working capital management requires a major overhaul, notwithstanding the fact that the promoters insist that the burgeoning debtors figure can be directly attributed to the extended credit period that they have offered their retailers as part of their sales promotion strategy.

Of course, the fact that the promoters helped themselves to a bonus issue in the ratio of 21 shares for every 20 shares held in May, 99 enhanced its equity base resultantly lowering its EPS with retrospective effect. Given such a backdrop, it does seem that VCCL will have to exert itself to achieve its projected bottomline of Rs 5.7 for 1999-2000 which would translate into a projected EPS of approximately Rs 11.

Investors with some propensity for risk-bearing could thus invest in this issue.

by Praful R. Desai
Bona fide need

Q: Whether rented premises, away from the suit premises can be used for determining the bonafide requirement of Petitioner.

Ans: Delhi HC in the case of Smt Maya Devi v Shri Amar Singh (1999(i) R.C.J. 536) expressed the view thus:

It was submitted by the petitioner that she is a bed-ridden woman and is suffering from arthritis for the last many years and her family consisted of herself, her husband, married son, his wife and two children and two married women who visit her along with their families.

The Rent Controller dismissed her eviction petition made on the ground of bonafide requirements, mainly because, besides her own rooms, she had one tenanted premises little away from the suit premises.

The HC expressed the view that the Rent Controller has erred in holding that the petitioner has already two living rooms at her disposal in House No. 5545 and 5596 and there are four small rooms and one tin shed which are available to her.

The admitted fact is that the Prop. No. 5545 is a tenanted property in which some accommodation is available to petitioner and her family, and is not appurtenant to the premises which is the subject matter of the present proceedings. Therefore, in the opinion of the HC the accommodation at a distance cannot be used to determine the bona fide requirement of the petitioner.

The family may like to live together in one property and the availability of another place is hardly of any consequence. There is, therefore, non-application of mind in assessing the legal requirements, as incorporated in the provisions of S.14(1)(c) of the Delhi Rent Control Act.

The petitioner has categorically proved that the alternative rented accommodation in her possession is also not sufficient taking into consideration the size and requirement of her family. The HC held that the criteria formulated by the Rent Controller is based on misconception of law. The need of the petitioner is clearly bona fide in view of the settled position as referred to above. The petition was thus allowed and the judgement and order of the Rent Controller is set aside.

by R. N. Lakhotia

Q: I am working as Assistant Engineer in Punjab State Tubewell Corporation Limited, presently posted at Malerkotla. The corporation is granting house rent allowance @7½ per cent at Malerkotla since I have been allotted a Government Accommodation, the Corpn. is deducting 10 per cent of basic pay in addition to 7½ per cent rent allowance being given (10%+7½%=17½%). My question is:

1. How shall I include or exclude the house rent allowance in the income tax return for the financial year 1999-2000?

2. In case an employee is residing in a private rented house and paying much more than the house rent he receives from the government what is the formula for exemption of house rent allowance in the income tax return for the financial year 1999-2000?

3. If an employee is residing in his own house, can he claim house rent allowance?

—Er. R.K. Singla, Malerkotla

Ans: On the facts stated by you the correct system for calculation of perquisite in respect of rent free quarter is to calculate 10 per cent of the salary of the person in respect of the period during which the accommodation was occupied by him during the previous year. From this amount any amount if collected by the employer towards such accommodation should be deducted. Apparently on the basis of the facts mentioned by you it appears that there is some mistake. On the facts mentioned by you there should be no addition to be made to your income because from the rent allowance received by you @ 7½ per cent you have already paid 10 per cent of the pay to your employer. However, please clarify whether you are receiving a rent free accommodation or house rent allowance. If the employee is residing in a private rented house and paying much more than the house rent allowance which he receives from the Government he cannot get full deduction in respect of the extra payment made by him towards house rent allowance. Please remember that the maximum amount which is exempted from Income-tax on account of house rent allowances as per section 10 (13A) is the minimum of the following amount (a) the actual amount of house rent allowance received by the assessee from his employer, (b) the amount by which the expenditure actually incurred by the assessee in payment of rent in respect of residential accommodation which has been provided to him exceeds 1/10th of the salary given to the assessee or (c) 50 per cent of the salary in Metropolitan towns or 40 per cent of the salary in other towns. Thus the house rent which will be exempted in Income tax will be the minimum of the following three figures. In reply to your last question namely what happens if the employee is residing in his own house, can he claim house rent allowance, the answer is “no” benefit of house rent allowance will be permissible to an employee who stays in his own house and does not pay rent. In such a situation the entire amount of house rent allowance will become fully taxable.

Q: In the income tax return submitted in June 1998, I was due refund of Rs. 12000/-. Reminders have brought no reply. Could you kindly tell how to get it.

2. Next Return is again due to be filed. Please enlighten if there are in changes for individual retirees — investment in UTS and Postal VI years (VIII Issue) certificate. I am 88 years of age.

—J.S. Sodhi, Chandigarh.

Ans: For your Income tax refund you should contact your Assessing Income Tax Officer and if you find that he is not helpful to you then you can contact Income Tax Commissioner and if still there is a problem you can contact the Grievance Cell, Office of the Chairman, Central Board of Direct Taxes, North Block, New Delhi-1. There is no change in the investment pattern of investment for the purposes of tax rebate u/s 88 of the Income-tax Act, 1961. As you are a senior citizen you will continue to enjoy the benefit of tax rebate as per Section 88B of the Income Tax Act, 1961 to the maximum extent of Rs. 10,000.

Q: Whether pension and family pension are clubbed or treated separately for assessing the income tax for the year 1998-99. If clubbed then what will be the standard deductions? Either Rs 20,000 or Rs 35,000/- and oblige.

—Gurdeep Lal Mehra, Chandigarh

Ans: Pension is treated as salary income. It is entitled to standard deduction. If the pension amount including salary amount is upto Rs one lakh in a Financial Year the maximum deduction on account of standard deduction will be equal to 331/3rd of the salary/pension subject to a maximum of Rs. 25,000. Family Pension if received from any person other than the employer will not be treated as income from salary. It will be income from other sources. Only the pension amount which is received from that employer will be eligible for standard deduction.

by Pushpa Girimaji
Need for quality rating of drugs

HOW good is the quality of medicines that you buy? I raise this question because of two very disturbing cases that have come to my notice this month. In the first one, a resident of South Delhi was prescribed a medicine to counter an allergic reaction that she developed following consumption of a drug. The treatment, however, brought no relief and she consulted another doctor, who told her that there was nothing wrong with the diagnosis or the treatment prescribed, but only with the pharmaceutical company whose drug she had been asked to buy. She was therefore prescribed the same medicine, but manufactured by a different pharmaceutical company. And this time it actually cured.In the second case, a resident of Gurgaon, Haryana, who was suffering from urinary tract infection was prescribed a course of antibiotics. However, the drug did not bring down the infection. In fact it made matters worse. Since the drug was neither spurious nor outdated, the doctor’s assumption was that it was of poor quality. Analysis of the drugs will eventually reveal the truth in both the cases, but experiences such as this certainly raise doubts about the quality of drugs manufactured in the country and the enforcement of quality standards by the State drug control authorities.

Last year, an Ahmedabad-based consumer group, Consumer Education and Research Centre (CERC) tested plain generic aspirin tablets manufactured by four companies. The results spoke volumes about the quality of medicines available in the market. As per the standards prescribed by the Indian Pharmacopoeia, the aspirin content of a plain aspirin tablet should be within 95 to 105 per cent of the amount claimed on the label. But the product of one company contained four per cent less aspirin than even the minimum prescribed limit. Again, while the IP standard requires the drug to disintegrate in 15 minutes, aspirin marketed by one company took 2 hours and 41 minutes to disintegrate! Imagine taking this aspirin for a quick relief from a headache! Once a drug is consumed, it must break into small granules in order to release the drug. So how quickly the drug brings relief, depends among other things, on how quickly the drug breaks into granules or disintegrates, says CERC.

Similarly, in the previous year CERC had tested paracetamol tablets manufactured by 18 companies — some under brand names and some under the generic name. Products of only nine companies met all the specifications prescribed under the Indian Pharmacopoeia. The rest of them failed or to be more specific, were sub-standard. Paracetamol marketed by two companies for example took 40 minutes and 25 minutes to disintegrate. They also performed poorly in the dissolution tests, releasing only 10-12 per cent of paracetamol. Says CERC in its test report: Dissolution of a tablet is a critical parameter in determining the performance and defining the quality of tablets and capsules, as it measures the release of a drug into the gastro-intestinal fluid. While the “disintegration test” gives an indication of whether the table breaks into granules or not and how much time it takes to do so, the “dissolution test” gives information on the actual release of the drug content from the tablet. And tablets of two companies had released only 10-12 per cent of the quantity specified on the table! One can imagine the performance of these tablets.

Results of comparative testing of products by CERC as well as the experiences of the two consumers that I mentioned at the beginning of the column, should make one sit up and ponder over what needs to be done to ensure availability of quality medicines to consumers. First and foremost, we must have an independent agency to monitor the quality of drugs manufactured and sold in the country. The agency should also take up consumer complaints such as these, test the drugs and if necessary order recall of drugs found to be sub-standard. The agency should also oversee the working of state law enforcement agencies, besides taking up on a regular basis, comparative testing of drugs. Results of such tests will not only help consumers make an informed choice but also force manufacturers to pay more attention to quality. CERC tests, for example, have revealed that the most expensive of brands or the most well known is not necessarily the best in terms of quality.

Secondly, the tests have also shown that some of the manufacturers just about manage to company with the statutory provisions by adhering to the minimum requirements. Such products, says CERC, may not be sub-standard under the law, but may well turn out to be less effective than those with better quality. They may also take more time to bring relief and therefore not good value for money. Comparative testing and rating of drugs on the basis of quality would therefore help consumers reject those which are not of good quality.

Rakesh Vaid
NEW DELHI, Oct 2 (TNS) — The Managing Director of Usha Fabs, Delhi and Vice-Chairman of Apparel Export Promotion Council, Mr Rakesh Vaid, has been re-elected the President of Garments Exporters Association for 1999-2000.

Ford Ikon
LUDHIANA, Oct 2 (TNS) — Ford Ikon, the new car from Ford India Limited (FIL) was revealed at Ford dealership in the city earlier this month. Ford has designed the Ikon especially for India. It has been designed at Ford’s Small Vehicle Centre (SVC) in Germany, one of the company’s three global product development centres. The Ford Ikon has been tested exhaustive in India, Germany, Belgium and in the UK.

Fujicolour
LUDHIANA, Oct 2 (TNS) — Fujifilm has announced the launch of a new film using a fourth colour-sensitive layer in addition to the customary three-layer structure of blue, green, and red to achieve much higher colour accuracy, resulting in natural colours even under fluorescent lighting conditions. Fujifilm also holds the patent for this technology.

Coca Cola
NEW DELHI, Oct 2 (TNS) — Coca-Cola India is implementing an aggressive integrated campaign to capitalise on the upcoming festival season by launching a national consumer marketing programme called “Coca Cola Hum Saath Saath Hain”.