Punjab Government Constitutes Centralized Drugs Control And Regulatory Cell

Chandigarh, September 20, 2015: On the directions given by Punjab’s Health and Family Welfare Minister, Mr.Surjit Kumar Jyani to check the sale of illegal, unethical and habit forming drugs in the state and to deal sternly with the violators and to effectively implement the provisions of Drugs and Cosmetics Act 1940 & Rules, a Centralized Drugs Control and Regulatory Cell comprising 3 Zonal Licensing Authorities (Drugs) has been constituted in Punjab. 

Mr. Hussan Lal, Commissioner, Food & Drugs Administration, Punjab while giving further information in this regard said that centralized cell will collect information and conduct joint raids in the State of Punjab to check the sale of sub-standard quality & habit forming drugs and pursue necessary follow-up action with the concerned authorities in the Government. He disclosed that the Cell conducted raids in District Bathinda, last week, wherein recovery of drugs & packaging materials of approximately Rs. 43 lakhs were made. The team inspected the premises of M/s Ashoka Distributors situated at Adarsh Nagar, Bathinda and seized 81 types of allopathic drugs which were stocked for sale and distribution in the premises along with secondary packaging material in huge quantities. Most of the drugs were expired and it was suspected by the team that the firm was involved in repackaging of the expired drugs and unethical labeling. As a result, the whole quantity of drugs and packaging materials were seized. The in-charge of the said shop Mr. Ashok Kumar could not show the purchase and sale records of the drugs seized. The team took 7 types of samples which have already been sent for test and analysis. Mr. Hussan Lal stated that in future also, such raids will be conducted to eliminate the availability of unethical, sub-standard and habit forming drugs in the State of Punjab.