The government on Tuesday said the steps taken by the national pharmaceutical pricing authority for enforcement of prices fixed by it had resulted in recovery of an overcharged amount of Rs 80.08 crore (Rs 800.8 million) till October this year.

The amount was recovered from the manufacturers who were not found following the prices fixed by NPPA under the Drugs (prices control) Order, 1995, Chemicals and Fertilisers Minister Ram Vilas Paswan told Lok Sabha.

NPPA had fixed or revised the prices of 184 bulk drugs under the Drugs (prices control) Order since its inception in August 1997, Paswan said.

The Indian pharmaceutical alliance had agreed that it would maintain the current price of medicines till March 31 next year, he said.

Paswan denied that there was controversy between the Chemicals and Fertilisers Ministry and Health and Family Welfare Ministry on the issue of controlling the prices of life saving drugs.

He also denied that the government was not deciding the price of DAP fertiliser due to pressure from MNCs.