Ayurvedic drug producers rue stringent sections of 2019 Act

NURPUR, FEBRUARY 28

The Himachal Pradesh Ayurvedic Manufacturing Association has appealed to Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu to annul or denotify sections 56 to 58 of the HP Biodiversity Act-2019 rules as these sections were stringent and would force the ayurvedic manufacturers to shut their pharmacies in the state.

Upender Gupta, general secretary of the association, while submitting a memorandum of the association to the Chief Minister, lamented that these sections had provision of cognisable non-bailable offences giving manufacturers sleepless nights.

Gupta alleged that the new Act had demoralised entrepreneurs and was harming ayurveda and food and herbs related industries. He lamented that under this Act, the state Biodiversity Board had served notices to its registered ayurvedic manufacturing units to submit data of procurement of herbs, manufacture and sale of their products from the financial year 2014-15 onwards and discrepancy in the submitted record, if found, would be punishable under section 56 of the Biological Diversity Act-2002.

He said that section 58 of the Act had declared these offences cognisable and non-bailable. “Under this Act, the ayurvedic manufacturer will be punished with a fine which may extend to Rs 1 lakh. In case of a second or subsequent offence, fine may extend up to Rs 2 lakh and in the case of continuous contravention the penalty will be harsher,” he said.

He said this Act was passed in Parliament in 2002 and the Central government had framed its rules in 2014. In Himachal Pradesh the previous Jai Ram government had implemented it in 2019 by constituting HP Biodiversity Board.

“The registration of all ayurvedic manufacturing units (pharmacies) with the state Biodiversity Board is mandatory but the harsh conditions laid down in biodiversity rules-2019 have caused a lot of resentment among the ayurvedic manufacturers. Already 150 ayurvedic units out of about 300 units have been closed during the past few years causing unemployment and revenue loss to the state,” he asserted.

Contacted for his comments, Vinay Singh, Director, Ayurveda Department, stated that he was away for one-month training at Mussoorie and hence unable to comment.

150 pharmacies shut

Harsh conditions laid down in biodiversity rules-2019 have caused a lot of resentment among the ayurvedic manufacturers. Already 150 ayurvedic units out of about 300 have been closed during the past few years causing unemployment and revenue loss to the state. Upender Gupta, gen secy of ayurvedic manufacturing association