US-blacklisted cos cry foul

MUMBAI: Two chemical companies, Balaji Amines and Prachi Poly Products which now find themselves blacklisted by the US for allegedly supplying banned products to Iran, maintain that they are still to receive any official communication on the issue from any Indian or foreign authorities. Both firms are petitioning the commerce ministry as well as the ministry of chemicals and fertilisers to immediately clear their names of any wrong-doing.

Prachi Poly Products manufactures phosphorous pentasulphide and Balaji Amines is into making amines and derivatives of speciality chemicals.

None of these, fall under the prohibited item category in any of the schedules (I, II or III) of the Chemical Weapons Convention 1997 (CWC). Said Gaurang Parikh, director of import and export, Prachi Poly Products, “The company has exported phosphorus pentasulphide before December ’01 through Metro Exports to Melli Agrochemical Company, Tehran. The same export house had also exported the chemical from other Indian manufacturers to the company.”

The Rs 30-crore firm has been in the business since 1996 and has a full-fledged govt-approved facility for R&D. Balaji Amines is reported to have supplied three chemicals such as triethyleamide, diethylyamide and diethyleacetamide used to manufacture of ampicillin, amoxyciline and cephalaxin to Iran’s Zakaria Tabriz Pharmaceutical and Chemical Company and Antibiotic Sazi, Iran. “We have altogether stopped supplying to these companies from December ’05 onwards,” a company statement read.