MoH Approves Proposal To Deploy Police Force At State DC Departments

Mumbai, 12 Oct 2019:

The Union health ministry has approved a proposal from the Drug Consultative Committee (DCC) to provide security to the state drug regulators engaged in the enforcement activities of Drugs and Cosmetics (D&C) Act, 1940 and rules made thereunder.

It has recommended to deploy police force at state drug control departments on priority to protect drug enforcement officials from threats and assaults from drug peddlers.

DCC in its 57th meet in Goa apprised that there are rampant cases coming up in news where intimidation, threat, looting and lynching of drugs regulators have come to limelight.

In one of the recent cases, one officer of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Punjab was killed in the office due to her actions against the unaccounted and unauthorised sale of habit forming drugs by a Punjab based chemist.

All such incidences are making it unsafe for the state FDA officials to work fearlessly and transparently due to lack of adequate protection mechanism.

DCC deliberated the matter and suggested that drug control department of every state should be empowered with the police force of their respective state in line with AndhraPradesh, Maharashtra, Haryana to protect the drug regulators from the threats.

Accordingly, drug controllers may request their respective state authorities for making such arrangement or ensure that in every district at least one police officer is assigned to support in regulatory work related to D&C Act enforced by state drugs control authorities.

Neha Shorie, 38, posted as the zonal licensing authority with the Drug and Food Chemical Laboratory in Kharar district of Punjab, was shot dead five months ago in her office by a man who later shot himself dead.

The police said the man, identified as Balwinder Singh, went to the victim’s office and fired two rounds at her from his licenced revolver. He shot himself after being cornered by people near the office. He succumbed to injuries later at the Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research.

The accused was a resident of Morinda in Punjab and had a chemist shop there.

The shop closed in 2008 after his licence was cancelled following the recovery of intoxicants during a raid conducted by the officer. Pharmabiz