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into $ 25 billion each for domestic and exports... have approached us to request
you to immediately consider at least an extension of six months for due pay-
ments against non-fund limits predominantly provided through Letter of Credit
(LC) for making the payments to the bankers,” stated PHARMEXCIL Chairman
Dinesh Dua in a letter to RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das.
The industry witnessed “very serious” disruption both in manufacturing
and supply chain operations, leading to a “financial setback” that has prevented
“all” pharmaceutical firms to continue producing and making available pharma-
ceutical products in India and overseas, Dua wrote in the letter dated April 4.
Although classified as essentials, the industry is “not at all” able to operate be-
yond “at best” 25-30 per cent of their normal operational manufacturing capaci-
ty, he added.
“The above will ultimately lead to acute shortage of lifesaving pharma-
ceuticals both in India and overseas, particularly in friendly countries like the
US, the EU, Asia, Latin America, CIS and Japan to some extent” he stated.
According to Dua, LCs worth up to $ 600 million will be due this month.
However, shortages in raw material from countries like China, unpaid dues from
importers and issues with obtaining no-objection certificates for firms to export
from India have left corporates unable to refurbish their accounts with bankers.
“This will result in the bankers terming these companies as NPAs. We
just want that around $ 350 million dollars of this is extended by six months
while we all try to get out of this monstrous situation,” he told The Indian Express.
“The moment the banker takes away the LC limit and says the firm is dysfunc-
tional or NPA, the firm will have no choice but to close down,” he added.
[Source : The Indian Express, New Delhi, dated 7-4-2020]

Man impersonates Customs official to circumvent lock-
down, arrested

A 30-year-oldman was arrested for impersonating a senior Customs offi-
cial and using a forged identity card to avoid the lockdown restrictions on the
movement of private vehicles across Delhi-NCR, the police said on 5-4-2020.
The police seized a Swift Dzire car from the man along with the forged
identity card. The man, identified as Suraj Singh Bisht, was driving the Dzire car
which had “Government of India” written on it, the police said. They also seized
a police uniform from him.
Bisht is private driver by profession and used to work for a Government
official, a Senior Police Officer, who did not wish to be named, said.
On April 3, the officer said, a police team from the Patparganj Industrial
Area police station was deployed at Anand Vihar to implement the lockdown
and prosecute those motorists who were violating the prohibitory orders.
Around 6.30 pm, the policemen stopped the white Dzire car and asked its driver
to show his “curfewpass”- issued by Delhi Police and Delhi Government for the
movement of essential service providers. The driver produced a Government
identity card in the name of Suraj Singh Bisht which mentioned his designation
as an Assistant Commissioner from the Customs Department. The police said
that the identity card looked suspicious and the driver was asked to furnish an-
other identity card.

EXCISE LAW TIMES  15th April 2020  83