CBI inquiry in the "corrupt" Food & Drugs Department, insists recommendations by FDA Inquiry Committee

A Inquiry Committee that was appointed by the State Government in 2013 to curb the corruption and malpractices in the Food & Drugs Department (FDA) has asked for CBI inquiry to put a check and also bring in transparency in the working of the FDA. RTI activist Anil Galgali who was instrumental in the whole process of getting the report has asked the government to make the report public. Anil Galgali has also appealed to the Chief Minister Devendra Fadanvis to handover the commission report to the CBI, which in turn will investigate this report and may be instrumental in curbing corruption in the department.

An RTI was filed in by Anil Galgali, who in turn had to face a lot of flake in getting the report out from the Department. "The 159 paged report is a nothing but a highlight how public life is put at larger risk by FDA and how corruption has made this department "sick", said Galgali. The committee was formed by the Government on 21st January 2013 and submitted its detailed report only on 17th April 2014. As per the report under 3.16, drugs (Cost control) resolution (under essential commodities Act 1955) the rule states that the findings made by any such committee ,that has to do with basic necessities or endangering public life has to be inquired by a Central nominated agency. Under section 3.4 of the report submitted by the committee Controller will be responsible for any situation arising due to negligence which directly or indirectly will be endangering common person's life. Also as per section 3.3 the Government directly or indirectly has never intervened with the working of FDA thus resulting in negligence of duty and responsibility of the state ex chequer.

The 17 recommendations made by the committee has to be strictly followed and acted upon by the Government insists Anil Galgali. Last 40 years this department has been infested with corruption with political backing and the middlemen have made merry thus compromising safety standards. In this regard a CBI inquiry would definitely help to curb this corrupted department. To bring transparency is the key, which has been missing since long in FDA. Also this report, which is of utmost necessity for every common person, should be published by the government or made available on any Government Website, insists Galgali. For this purpose, he has written to the Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Medical Education minister Vinod Tawde and the Chief Secretary Swadhin Kshatriya. Another social activist Yajurvedi Rao who is active in the FDA, has demanded the recommendations of the Committee to be immediately taken into account by the Government and bring in the much required transparency in the department.