Chemists fume over GMC drug store tender
Preetu Nair, TNN
PANAJI: Changes in the eligibility criteria for running a pharmacy
at the Goa Medical College and Hospital
and Yatri Niwas have come under a
cloud.
Unlike in the past, when the GMC pharmacy operation was open to manufacturers, retailers and wholesalers, this time the latter two are deemed not eligible.
The tender has been drafted in such a manner that only a Goa registered drug manufacturer, having its own manufacturing unit and retail outlets, besides manufacturing products for more than five reputed large pharma companies and with over five years manufacturing experience can bid for it. This has not only got chemists in Goa fuming, but has narrowed the eligibility field to just two manufacturers.
A letter from the Chemists and Druggists Association, Goa, to health minister Vishwajit Rane said, “We are pained to note that none of our members are eligible to even quote for the pharmacy as the clause includes only the manufacturing companies.”
“We have requested the health minister to reconsider the eligibility criteria by removing the ‘manufacturing company clause’ and allowing individuals having a pharmacy business to quote,” Ratnadeep Kurtarkar, the association president told TOI.
Rane citing price considerations is unwilling to change the specifications. “We want to encourage the small scale pharma industry that will give us a better price. I am not interested in entertaining traders. We want a corporate company with retail experience, who can maintain a minimum level of drugs, materials and surgical appliances at the pharmacy, so that indenting by the GMC can be done from here if the product is not available in the hospital,” said Rane.
President of Chemists and Druggists Association, Goa, Ratnadeep Kurtarkar, however, does not appear convinced by health minister Vishwajit Rane’s explanation that the move to exclude retailers is aimed at encouraging small scale pharma industry.
He said traders do maintain a minimum inventory of drugs and surgical appliances in the pharmacy.
“If by adhering to the Central government’s policy to give cheaper medicines, the state government is proposing a ‘Janaushadhi’ store at GMC, then a manufacturer would be able to manufacture generic drugs and give it to patients at cheaper rates. But a retailer or any manufacturer selling branded drugs will have to sell them at the MRP,” added Kurtarkar.
The tender’s new criteria allows just two companies to bid for the contract. “Only two companies meet the requirements. One is the Hede Group run Shwarde Pharmaceutical Pvt Ltd at Corlim that has a retail shop at Porvorim and Goa Antibiotics and Pharmaceuticals Limited (GAPL) which has a retail shop at GMC,” sources at Food and Drug Administration told TOI.
Confirming this, Goa pharmaceutical manufacturers association president Dilip Salgaonkar said, “There are three or four pharma companies registered in Goa. To the best of my knowledge only two pharma companies — GAPL and Shwarde — have retail shopping also.”
There is a further catch in the eligibility criteria, which states that the pharma company should be registered as a small scale industry. “GAPL doesn’t have SSI registration. It has medium scale registration with government of India,” Goa State Industries Association executive secretary GP Chimulkar told TOI.
Rane explained saying, “We have shortlisted two companies — Hede group’s pharma company and government run GAPL. We are in the process of verifying if GAPL is registered under the Small Scale Industries (SSI). If so registered, GAPL will get the contract, otherwise it will go to the Hede group.”
2 May 2009,The Times of India, Goa edition
Saturday, May 02, 2009
Churchill's brother quizzed over passport irregularity
Churchill's brother quizzed over passport irregularity
Preetu Nair, TNN
PANAJI: Seabra Alemao, 57, younger brother of PWD minister Churchill Alemao has been asked to clarify regarding his and his father's name by the passport office at Panaji, as they differ from those given in the birth certificate.
He will also have to pay a fine amounting to Rs 5,000 for suppressing personal particulars. A report regarding the same has been sent to the ministry of external affairs, New Delhi.
A letter dated April 22, 2009 asks Seabra to explain "regarding passport application in 2004 and correct name as per old application." While in his passport application dated December 16, 2008, Seabra has written his name as "Presentacao Seabra Joaquim Alemao", the birth certificate has his name as "Presentacao Seabra Joaquim Cerejeira Sacrafamilia Alemao". Similarly with his father's name, in the passport application Seabra has written it as "Antonio Augusto Braz Clemente Alemao", while the birth certificate states "Antonio Augusto Braz Clemente Fortunato Flosculo Mario Ragario Piedade Alemao".
Passport officer S B Hire refused to comment. However, officials at the passport office said, "On April 15, we got a positive recommendation for Seabra from the police. He is now eligible to get the passport after clarifying his and his father's name and after paying the fine amount."
When contacted, Seabra said, "I have given an affidavit to the passport office in which I have clearly mentioned my full name and my father's full name. They have not sent me a letter asking me to pay any fine."
The disparities came to light when the passport office conducted an inquiry into Seabra's application after receiving a police report on January 16, 2009, that instead of approving or rejecting the passport application stated, "discretion of passport officer".
The report came from the DySP CID/SB, despite the fact that the Colva police inspector's report states that there are no court cases pending against Seabra and he has been acquitted in two cases and he can be issued a passport.
After receiving the police report, passport officials conducted an inquiry into Seabra's application and found that he had first applied for a passport in 2004, in which he had given his and father's name as per the birth certificate. However, his file was closed on December 30, 2004, as he failed to respond to queries raised by the passport office. At that time in the column for passport details, Seabra had said, "not known" and the passport office had sought a clarification regarding this, which Seabra had failed to provide.
Later, on December 16, 2008 Seabra filed a fresh passport application. "He failed to mention that he had applied for and was not issued a passport in 2004. On seeking a clarification, Seabra submitted a notarized affidavit on February 17, 2009 stating that he had previously applied for a passport. Seabra will have to shell out another Rs 1,000 for not informing the passport office that he had previously applied for a passport," officials said.
"In 2004 I had applied for the passport but had lost the form number and the passport office had said they could not trace the form so I made a fresh application in 2008," said Seabra.
On Thursday, Churchill had addressed a press conference at which he had alleged that the passport officer refused to renew his brother Seabra's passport on the grounds that criminal cases were pending against him, in spite of the fact that the sessions court had cleared him of all charges. However, passport officials denied these allegations.
Seabra, however, made the same allegations on Friday and said, "They are denying me the passport, saying there a cases pending against me, though I have submitted court orders acquitting me."
2 May 2009, The Times of India, Goa edition
Preetu Nair, TNN
PANAJI: Seabra Alemao, 57, younger brother of PWD minister Churchill Alemao has been asked to clarify regarding his and his father's name by the passport office at Panaji, as they differ from those given in the birth certificate.
He will also have to pay a fine amounting to Rs 5,000 for suppressing personal particulars. A report regarding the same has been sent to the ministry of external affairs, New Delhi.
A letter dated April 22, 2009 asks Seabra to explain "regarding passport application in 2004 and correct name as per old application." While in his passport application dated December 16, 2008, Seabra has written his name as "Presentacao Seabra Joaquim Alemao", the birth certificate has his name as "Presentacao Seabra Joaquim Cerejeira Sacrafamilia Alemao". Similarly with his father's name, in the passport application Seabra has written it as "Antonio Augusto Braz Clemente Alemao", while the birth certificate states "Antonio Augusto Braz Clemente Fortunato Flosculo Mario Ragario Piedade Alemao".
Passport officer S B Hire refused to comment. However, officials at the passport office said, "On April 15, we got a positive recommendation for Seabra from the police. He is now eligible to get the passport after clarifying his and his father's name and after paying the fine amount."
When contacted, Seabra said, "I have given an affidavit to the passport office in which I have clearly mentioned my full name and my father's full name. They have not sent me a letter asking me to pay any fine."
The disparities came to light when the passport office conducted an inquiry into Seabra's application after receiving a police report on January 16, 2009, that instead of approving or rejecting the passport application stated, "discretion of passport officer".
The report came from the DySP CID/SB, despite the fact that the Colva police inspector's report states that there are no court cases pending against Seabra and he has been acquitted in two cases and he can be issued a passport.
After receiving the police report, passport officials conducted an inquiry into Seabra's application and found that he had first applied for a passport in 2004, in which he had given his and father's name as per the birth certificate. However, his file was closed on December 30, 2004, as he failed to respond to queries raised by the passport office. At that time in the column for passport details, Seabra had said, "not known" and the passport office had sought a clarification regarding this, which Seabra had failed to provide.
Later, on December 16, 2008 Seabra filed a fresh passport application. "He failed to mention that he had applied for and was not issued a passport in 2004. On seeking a clarification, Seabra submitted a notarized affidavit on February 17, 2009 stating that he had previously applied for a passport. Seabra will have to shell out another Rs 1,000 for not informing the passport office that he had previously applied for a passport," officials said.
"In 2004 I had applied for the passport but had lost the form number and the passport office had said they could not trace the form so I made a fresh application in 2008," said Seabra.
On Thursday, Churchill had addressed a press conference at which he had alleged that the passport officer refused to renew his brother Seabra's passport on the grounds that criminal cases were pending against him, in spite of the fact that the sessions court had cleared him of all charges. However, passport officials denied these allegations.
Seabra, however, made the same allegations on Friday and said, "They are denying me the passport, saying there a cases pending against me, though I have submitted court orders acquitting me."
2 May 2009, The Times of India, Goa edition
CBI seals residence of insurance company manager
CBI seals residence of insurance company manager
PANAJI: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), sealed the official residence of Oriental Insurance Company Limited's divisional manager in Goa on Thursday. CBI is investigating into divisional manager Mukesh Gupta's assets and properties as they had information that Gupta was maintaining a standard of living far beyond his known means.
Though there was no official confirmation, sources in the CBI said that they had a warrant to search four placesone in New Delhi and three at Goaall reportedly belonging to Gupta. CBI searched Gupta's house in New Delhi and also searched and sealed his office in Panaji, and his 146-square-metre flat at Adwalparkar Center in Caranzalem, for which he allegedly spent a fortune on the wood work, marble, tiling and lighting.
"We sealed Gupta's official residence at Models Estate, Caranzalem, on Thursday. The search of his residence will be conducted once we trace Gupta, who is out of station'," said CBI officials.
Officials said that Gupta had recently sold a well-furnished flat at Models Millennium, Caranzalem. "He spent about Rs 10 to Rs 15 lakh on the interiors. For more information, we are trying to trace the person to whom Gupta sold the flat. Besides, Gupta has also bought a plot at the Kadamba plateau," said sources.
CBI also sealed five of his bank accounts and one share trading account. Gupta has been working for Oriental Insurance Company Ltd in Goa since 1996. He was posted at Margao where he held office till 2002. At present he is in the Panaji office where he heads the insurance firm's operations in Goa.
2 May 2009, The Times of India, Goa edition
PANAJI: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), sealed the official residence of Oriental Insurance Company Limited's divisional manager in Goa on Thursday. CBI is investigating into divisional manager Mukesh Gupta's assets and properties as they had information that Gupta was maintaining a standard of living far beyond his known means.
Though there was no official confirmation, sources in the CBI said that they had a warrant to search four placesone in New Delhi and three at Goaall reportedly belonging to Gupta. CBI searched Gupta's house in New Delhi and also searched and sealed his office in Panaji, and his 146-square-metre flat at Adwalparkar Center in Caranzalem, for which he allegedly spent a fortune on the wood work, marble, tiling and lighting.
"We sealed Gupta's official residence at Models Estate, Caranzalem, on Thursday. The search of his residence will be conducted once we trace Gupta, who is out of station'," said CBI officials.
Officials said that Gupta had recently sold a well-furnished flat at Models Millennium, Caranzalem. "He spent about Rs 10 to Rs 15 lakh on the interiors. For more information, we are trying to trace the person to whom Gupta sold the flat. Besides, Gupta has also bought a plot at the Kadamba plateau," said sources.
CBI also sealed five of his bank accounts and one share trading account. Gupta has been working for Oriental Insurance Company Ltd in Goa since 1996. He was posted at Margao where he held office till 2002. At present he is in the Panaji office where he heads the insurance firm's operations in Goa.
2 May 2009, The Times of India, Goa edition
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