M A I N   N E W S

Bill for death penalty to spurious drug makers soon
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, August 4
The government plans to bring in Parliament a Bill providing death penalty for those who make and sell spurious drugs, the Union Health and Family Welfare Minister, Mrs Sushma Swaraj, informed the Rajya Sabha today.

“We are going to bring a Bill providing death penalty for manufacturers of spurious drugs,” she informed the House during question hour. Opposition members assured Mrs Swaraj that they would cooperate in the passage of the Bill.

Giving details about the seizure of spurious drugs by the Delhi Government, she said the present law had proved to be “toothless” in curbing the menace. The offence, under the present law, is non-cognizable and bailable.

Mrs Swaraj said she was not perturbed whether her suggestions were rejected by the Mashelkar Committee. “It is Parliament which makes the law,” she said.

On the allocation for health sector, the minister said it was proposed to increase allocation for health to 2 per cent of the GDP by 2010 which would translate into Rs 1,16,000 crore as against the current Rs 16,000 crore that is 0.9 per cent of the GDP.