Benzo Chem Industries has requested the Department of Chemicals and Petrochemicals for issuing import permit for sodium cyanide for non-insecticidal purpose.

In a letter to the DCPC, the firm said it is a manufacturer of bulk drugs and pharmaceutical intermediates and sodium cyanide is one of the basic raw material.

?At present we are buying sodium cyanide locally from Cyanides & Chemicals, Surat and Gujarat Alkalies & Chemicals, Baroda and we also use to import sodium cyanide against advance licence. We are getting better price for import of sodium cyanide compared to local price,? it said.

Benzo Chem had received the NOC from Central Insecticide Board & Registration Committee and against it, the company has already cleared the quantity of 94.5 MT of sodium cyanide and for the balance quantity of 48 MT, goods will be shipped before August 31.

?To complete our further export as well as local order, we have to import 150 MT of sodium cyanide throughout the year,? it said.

?So we hereby request you to issue your NOC accordingly,? the company said in its letter.