Nuclear Industry-How Accountable

April 4, 1987 groups who have written to the various authorities requesting a hearing have gone unanswered generally. The first hearing was apparently held in Madras in early February, but without any kind of prior public notice of venue or date. Consequently, consumer groups who have few resources and fewer communication channels open to them in government knew nothing about the meeting until afterwards. Whether by design or accident, it is the drug companies which were adequately represented. In late March some of the groups received a communication from the drugs controller about a second hearing, on April 10, in Delhi, for which they have been asked to submit 20 copies of documentary evidence and scientific data in support of their views. This is making a mockery of the very process of a public enquiry because the procedure is so structurec' as to make public representation extremeb difficult and even impossible.