TN govt appoints separate officers for controlling and licencing in DC dept

June 10, 2023

After dilly-dallying for 40 days, the government of Tamil Nadu has finally decided to appoint a state licensing authority (SLA) in the Department of drug control by giving an additional charge to an Assist Drug Controller (ADC) in Kancheepuram district.

Whereas, the government has given the power to control the department (controlling authority) to the senior officer in the department (JDC), MN Sridhar by separating the responsibilities of the drug controller (DC) into two officers. Habib Mohammad of the Kancheepuram zone of the DCA is the SLA

As per the Drugs and Cosmetics Act 1940, the government can appoint separate licensing authorities and controlling authorities, but the persons should have a pharmacy background and experience in the enforcement of the drug laws. This is the first time, the drug control administration in Tamil Nadu gets separate officers for controlling and licensing.   

Sources from the department and the industry allege that this bifurcation of powers will create large-scale confusion and the administration itself will likely be in dilemma.

Meanwhile, the government has created a new department, the Tamil Nadu Food Safety and Drug Administration (TNFS& DA) by integrating the existing Food Wing of the Directorate of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, and the Drugs Control Department. The Commissioner of Food Safety, R Lalvena IAS has been placed as the director of the drug control department. Thus, the government has brought both the food safety department and the drug control administration under one umbrella.

Talking to Pharmabiz, Lalvena said he has taken charge as director of the drug control department on Friday afternoon as soon as the principal secretary of health signed the order. Meanwhile, the principal secretary of health, Gagandeep Singh Bedi told Pharmabiz that licensing authority has been posted and all the impasse in the lack of a licensing authority in the department has ended.

The industry sources responded positively to the appointment of a licensing authority and wanted the resumption of issuing licenses to the industry. The chairman of the state branch of the Indian Drug Manufacturers Association (TN IDMA), J Jayaseelan has said the office of the licensing authority should immediately clear the pending applications for licenses as the exports of pharmaceuticals have come to a standstill for the last one month. Similarly, the operations of the manufacturing units are also in trouble for over one month

PHARMABIZ.com