Fraud in the appointments at Drug Control Labs both at
Aurangabad and Mumbai.
Friends, am back after a good vacation!! With renewed zest & more OFF THE RECORD information!! Todays blog is on FDA. I’m not much of a fan of the work and attitude of IAS officer heading FDA as Commissioner–Harshdeep Kamble. Though he is a disciplinarian, not much has been credited to his achievements. I have various examples to cite on his shortcomings of his working style, but I have saved this for my series of blogs that will cover FDA for at least couple of more days. Mumbai is an international city. I will give you two examples on how attitude & working styles of FDA affects WE commoner’s. I have two sons. One of them Anmol (aged 5), use to frequently complain about stomach aches when he was about 3. We visited at least 10 doctors to get their views on the same. Various scans & medicines were ‘digested’ by Anmol. Mind you, at home we don’t even trust any RO machines…we prepare everything in Bisleri water. So no question of water contamination… One fine day my friend visited my house and his son asked for milk. Sampada, my better half, poured it into a mug, warmed it and gave it to him. Next day even that boy complained of stomach ache. We found the reason. It was the milk which we were sourcing from a “bhaiyya” delivering it plastic bags at our doorstep for years together. For a week, we stopped giving Anmol this milk and opted for the tetra packs of Amul…Till today my son has never complained. The problem was milk adulteration!!! & yes it is the moral responsibility of FDA to ensure us safe food which they have failed. Today I can afford tetra packs, but what about the person who stays in chawls & zhopdis…Do we care about them? No!!! Next example —Buy a small bottle of Oil (used as hair oil) in any of your departmental store at Mumbai and pour it in your palm and smell it–do the same with another bottle of the same brand but this time buy it anywhere at say, Lonavala or Nashik…the smell will tell you mixtures & adulteration..Similar with our medicines, alcohol and our food items. I remember once I had written a blog on Milk Adulteration and complained to then Commissioner Mahesh Zagade. He had conducted a raid on the octroi nakas and nearly millions of litres were returned to the manufacturer with notices of action. That was Mahesh Zagade for you. If you want to see how Milk adulteration happens, visit the Zhopadis near Mithibai College or the infamous Dharavi!! Tell me why shouldn’t I blame FDA, its Minister & officials?
Anyway, the scam of recruitment, postings and promotion begins…One retired Joint Commissioner & an Assistant Director of the Drug Testing Lab had failed to promote the internal staff for almost 10 years leaving a huge gap between
the Asst Dir Drug Controller of Lab (ADDCL) and next incumbent in line. This
created a situation wherein today there is not a single eligible person within the Testing facility
wing of the FDA. The charge at Mumbai is held by a Drug Officer (Dr RN Tirpude) while Justice Lentin Commission Report following JJ
tragedy report submitted, clearly prohibits creation of conflict of interest
between those engaged in drug administration & testing lab. Allegedly, this is a
created conflict of interest by the current commissioner in complete disregard to
the norms established and adopted by the government and it continuous even today. The post of ADDCL at Aurnagabad is held by a rank of Scientific Officer by the
name Mr. Aushankh ever since the retirement of the last ADDCL, Mr. Pol. The situation was so created that EX FDA Commissioner Mr. Zagade had to step in a fire fighting mode and he pushed for promotions (internal) of several Scientific Officers to the next
cadre i.e. Senior Scientific Officers. I’m talking about 2013-14 and finally the promotions under DPC were completed in
February 2016. The proposal to officially notify after various scrutinises at
Mantralay level is kept pending/in hang by a section officer Shri Shinde only
to facilitate the continuity the current in-chagre of ADDCL Aurangabad because
the recommended promotee would have replaced the occupant immediately had the
promotion would have been notified. For the last 1 year since Feb 2016, this game of
shuttling files between GAD & MED/FDA is going on. There is an allegation of a “class” ic situation been created by a click
of officers only to promote and further the cause of one particular person.
The Commissioner has recently transferred
the most senior person who would have occupied the chair of SSO “under
deputation” to drug control lab at Mumbai. It is alleged, that the sinister
design of FDA –Mantralaya nexus includes & clears the current SO holding
charge of ADDCL Aurangabad. This is on the face of very serious allegations of
irregularities carried out by the current ADDCL exposed fully in the local
media at Aurangabad recently. The inquiry officer (who holds charge in complete conflict
of interest) Dr Tirpude who was sent to investigate has allegedly not even
submitted his report and has causally/orally adviced the incharge to file police
complaint on unfield colums in entry register of purchase of glasswares since
2015. This is again a “class” ic act of advising a person to file a complaint on work not
done by himself and asking the police to carry the inquiry, we understand from
sources. If such a sham inquiry is carried out and commissioner heeds to such
advise of such officers, FDA will soon be in doldrums. What purpose does it serve to transfer two
officers from Auranagabad lab to Mumbai when this lab is “almost on verge of
closure” with skeleton staff working in food & drug testing labs.
The Govt in the winter session
approved about 150 crores booster plan by recruiting 173 additonal staffs to
the F&D testing Labs at 5 to 6 different places in the state with 35 crores
investment in facilities; and with such an approach of protecting of interest of
one person how will FDA function efficiently and serve the 12 crore
population of Maharashtra, one wonders!
Parting Shot—recent exposure by
the ex Joint Commissioner (Vigilance) IPS Harish Baijal’s inquiry revealed that this foolish FDA administration paid
around 32 lacs on a rented premises at Pune for the almost 2 years for storing confiscated goods & gutka in the name and under the head of
testing facility of food lab. Is it too much to blink or think? I leave to the
avid readers.
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