The Hindu : National : "Life-saving drugs will be out of reach"

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Saturday, Mar 19, 2005

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National

"Life-saving drugs will be out of reach"

By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI, MARCH 18. The CPI (M) member in the Lok Sabha, Suresh Kurup, today opposed the Patents (Amendment) Bill, 2005.

He questioned the need to take the ordinance route when the January 1, 2005, deadline was decade-old. The new regime would put life-saving drugs out of the reach of the common man, he said and added that this violated Article 21 of the Constitution that gives every citizen the fundamental right to life.

Speaking in a similar vein, Varkala Radhakrishnan (CPI-M) said the Bill should have been introduced through the normal course as the Government knew the new regime had to be in place by January 1, 2005. Describing the decision to invoke Article 123 of the Constitution to promulgate an ordinance as a "fraud on the Constitution," he said.

M.P. Veerendra Kumar (Janata Dal-Secular) wanted to know whether the Government considered Parliament an "informing body." Similar views were echoed by N.N. Krishnadas (CPI-M) and Prabodh Panda (CPI). From the National Democratic Alliance benches, the lone member to give notice, P.C. Thomas (Indian Federal Democratic Party), was absent but V. K. Malhotra (BJP) took up the matter.

Mr. Kamal Nath sought to allay the fears of the members on the Bill being a "committed legislation" by stating that the House would get adequate opportunity to discuss it. This and his professed confidence in being able to convince members during the discussion, however, failed to make an impression.

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