Bhopal, January 06 (Pervez Bari): The new Drug Policy Of Madhya Pradesh will be totally decentralized. Eighty percent amount allocated for the purchase of medicines, equipment and other related material will be spent at the district level.
The entire process right from purchase of medicines and payments against the purchases has been made time-bound. If a supplier does not supply the required items within 45 days, he will be blacklisted and penalty will be recovered from him and if a concerning officer does not arrange payments against purchases within 30 days, the interest accruing on this amount will be recovered from him, said an official Press release.
The new Drug Policy envisages total transparency. Accordingly, such arrangements will be ensured that there is no shortage of drugs at any level. An officer at the district level will be made responsible for it. He will maintain stocks of three months. Within 30 days of the delivery of drugs or equipment, their samples will be sent for quality test to labs, which will be identified by Tamil Nadu Medical supply Corporation. The cost of the test will be borne by the supplier. If a sample is found sub-standard or underweight, the supplier will have to replace the entire batch or a bank draft equivalent to the amount of the consignment will have to be deposited in the bank in the name of concerning authorities.
As per the new Drug Policy, 80 per cent of the allocated budget for purchase of medicines, equipment and related items will be spent at the district level by Chief Medical and Health Officer, Civil Surgeon and other authorized purchase officers. The rest of 20 percent will be spent as per the central purchase system. If this 20 percent budget were not utilized till the last three months of the fiscal year, it will also be allocated to the districts.
If a supplier fails to deliver the ordered consignment within the deadline, he will be charged at the rate of 0.5 per cent up to 7.5 per cent after 45 to 60 days. If the supply is not made even after 60 days, then 20 per cent penalty will be imposed on the defaulter supplier. (pervezbari@eth.net)