Sardar SURJEET SINGH BARNALA
Minister for Chemicals and Fertilizers
Government of India
11th January’ 1999
New Delhi

The National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) is the brain child of the Modifications made in the “Drug Policy” of Government of India announced in September 1994. Government had been experiencing that the mechanism for the fixation and revision of prices of bulk drugs and formulations envisaged in the Drugs Prices Control Order (DPCO) was cumbersome, complicated and time consuming. Therefore, there was a need to create an independent body of experts for achieving the objective of the Drug Policy, that is, “ensuring abundant availability of quality drugs at reasonable prices to the consumers”. Accordingly, Government established NPPA in August 1997, after careful consideration, to bring about a greater degree of “objectivity, transparency as well as speed” in drug pricing matters. The powers delegated to NPPA, interalia, include the fixation/revision of bulk drugs and formulations from time to time under DPCO and monitoring of prices and availability of drugs in the country.

I am happy to note that NPPA has risen to the occasion and is performing its functions as per the expectation of the Government. The hosting of the website is yet another effort of NPPA to bring about transparency by providing required information on the policy matters, prices, production etc. to the industry, consumers and others through Internet which is the modern media of communication. This step in the right direction is laudable.

I am glad to inaugurate the Web-Site today.
I congratulate NPPA and convey my best wishes to the viewers.

(Sardar Surjeet Singh Barnala)