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2.2.11

FDA hamstrung by vacant posts

Even though the food and drug administration (FDA) is awaiting some basic changes in the Prevention of Food Adulteration Act, which may change the structure of FDA itself, the department has not been able to fulfil two major requirements for effective enforcement of its duties. The FDA is facing a shortage of staff across the state and it also lacks its own food and drug testing laboratories.

FDA officials claim that the process of filling up vacant posts, and setting up four food and drug testing laboratories at Nagpur, Pune, Nashik and Amravati has already started. However, sources in the department say that the possibility of the laboratories starting anytime soon is very remote.

"The department has been given the option of taking over public health laboratories (PHLs), which are currently doing the job for FDA, or outsourcing the job to established private labs with accreditation from the National Accreditation Board for testing and calibration Laboratories (NABL). FDA is not too keen on setting up new labs, since it requires huge investment and staff," said a senior FDA official in the city. There is little hope now for the new labs, with the new law coming into force in a few months.

However, AT Nikhade, assistant commissioner (drugs), Nagpur division FDA, said that the government has already started the process of looking for land for the lab in the city. "The process for filling up posts too has started," he said.

FDA sources though point out that the process of setting up labs was initiated way back in 1985 and money was budgeted under different plans for the same. However, even FDA staff do not know where this money was diverted, said a source.

In the eighth plan, Rs 1 crore was allocated for the same, followed by Rs 33 lakh in 1995-96 and Rs 20 lakh in 1996-07 for a laboratory in the city. In 2001, a drug control lab was started at Aurangabad in a rented building, but the Nagpur lab is still a distant dream. At present, the state has just two labs, one at Mumbai and the other at Aurangabad. These analyse around 9,000 samples per year, which is only 750 per month, a negligible figure as compared to the turnover of the pharmaceutical industry.

As far as vacant posts are concerned, the FDA is under severe pressure due to some public interest litigations (PILs) on the issue. Sources say that the department has been telling the court that it would fill the posts soon during hearings in two PILs.

The reality remains that as of January 31, out of the 11 posts of joint commissioners (1 food, 9 drug and 1 vigilance), including the post in Nagpur division, only seven are occupied. Out of 52 posts of assistant commissioners of drug, 33 are occupied, and of the eight food commissioners, one post is vacant. At the lower levels, only 68 of the 161 posts of drug inspectors are occupied while out of 265 food inspectors only 224 posts are filled. Most administrative posts, including administrative officer for Nagpur, and many clerical posts are vacant. Except for Nagpur district, the posts of food and drug inspectors in all districts in the division are vacant.
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