To make sure that all the safety norms are practiced and that there is no adulteration in the Food or food item available to us, and also the Drugs that we consume are available to us at the appropriate cost and that too with the implementation of its law, remains the prime responsibility of Food and the Drugs Department (FDA) of our state. The implementation of the newly passed Food Security Bill also gathers the agenda of the FDA. But the State Government fails to recognise the importance of this department. This is the only department that is directly related to the health of a common man. Of a capacity of altogether 1176 positions sanctioned by the Government in the FDA, an astonishing 365 posts have still been left vacant by the government, an RTI query put by Anil Galgali has revealed, i.e. 31% of the posts been lying vacant. For a population of 11 crores of Maharashtra State, 1176 posts that have been allotted for the FDA, 811 posts have been occupied which indicated that after 1.35 lakh of people there is only 1 FDA officer working in Maharashtra.
RTI Activist Anil Galgali had sought information in regard to the total posts that were allotted to the FDA, along with the ones occupied and the one’s that have been left vacant. The headquarters are located of this department is in the BKC area of Mumbai along with divisions at Thane, Pune, Nashik, Aurangabad, Sangli, Satara, Nagpur, Latur and in all comprising of divisions in 31 districts of Maharashtra. In the all of these offices, only 265 Food Security officers’ posts have been sanctioned and 161 posts that of Drug Inspectors have been sanctioned by the Government. But 78 posts of FSO’s and 37 of Drug Inspectors posts still lie vacant, revealed RTI filed by Anil Galgali on the 15th January of this year. In the Food Department 22 posts of that of Joint Commissioners lay vacant as compared to 62 posts sanctioned. In the Drugs Department of the FDA, 13 out of 35 posts that of technical officers, 4 out of 8 senior Technical Officers, 22 out of 52 posts sanctioned for the Joint Commissioners, 9 out of the 12 posts that of the Administrative heads, 23 out of 60 posts that of Sample Assistants and 2 out of 3 Plant Operators remain vacant, reveals the RTI.
# No Judicial Officer in the FDA!!
For smooth running of operations of the State Government, every department is bound to have a Judicial Officer who is responsible for the law to be abiding by the department and also to represent the Government in any judicial matters that may arise in the courts. In the Food & Drugs Department also such one post of Judicial Officer is sanctioned, that also is kept vacant by the government. Along with that, posts that of Joint (Food) Commissioner, Technical Officers, Electric officers, and positions of porters are also lie vacant in the crucial FDA Department reveals the RTI filed by Galgali. Group A and Group B vacancies are to filled in FDA was responsibilities of Government. Group C and Group D posts are responsibilities of respectively FDA Commissioner and the head of Department, revealed the RTI.Even FDA situation was worst but Commissioner like Mahesh Zagade gave best performance even little colleagues.
# Chief Minister should intervene
In a letter to the Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, RTI activist Anil Galgali has demanded for immediate recruitment and deputation of officers to the vacant posts. At present, a lot of pressure is being put on the current staff of the FDA, but once the posts are filled, effective implementation of the Act can be done, said Galgali. A lot of attention and control over the Drug Manufactures and Food item traders is required nowadays to overcome adulteration and black marketing. In such an important department if the strength is increased it will definitely help the system to run on its own, concluded Galgali.
RTI Activist Anil Galgali had sought information in regard to the total posts that were allotted to the FDA, along with the ones occupied and the one’s that have been left vacant. The headquarters are located of this department is in the BKC area of Mumbai along with divisions at Thane, Pune, Nashik, Aurangabad, Sangli, Satara, Nagpur, Latur and in all comprising of divisions in 31 districts of Maharashtra. In the all of these offices, only 265 Food Security officers’ posts have been sanctioned and 161 posts that of Drug Inspectors have been sanctioned by the Government. But 78 posts of FSO’s and 37 of Drug Inspectors posts still lie vacant, revealed RTI filed by Anil Galgali on the 15th January of this year. In the Food Department 22 posts of that of Joint Commissioners lay vacant as compared to 62 posts sanctioned. In the Drugs Department of the FDA, 13 out of 35 posts that of technical officers, 4 out of 8 senior Technical Officers, 22 out of 52 posts sanctioned for the Joint Commissioners, 9 out of the 12 posts that of the Administrative heads, 23 out of 60 posts that of Sample Assistants and 2 out of 3 Plant Operators remain vacant, reveals the RTI.
# No Judicial Officer in the FDA!!
For smooth running of operations of the State Government, every department is bound to have a Judicial Officer who is responsible for the law to be abiding by the department and also to represent the Government in any judicial matters that may arise in the courts. In the Food & Drugs Department also such one post of Judicial Officer is sanctioned, that also is kept vacant by the government. Along with that, posts that of Joint (Food) Commissioner, Technical Officers, Electric officers, and positions of porters are also lie vacant in the crucial FDA Department reveals the RTI filed by Galgali. Group A and Group B vacancies are to filled in FDA was responsibilities of Government. Group C and Group D posts are responsibilities of respectively FDA Commissioner and the head of Department, revealed the RTI.Even FDA situation was worst but Commissioner like Mahesh Zagade gave best performance even little colleagues.
# Chief Minister should intervene
In a letter to the Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, RTI activist Anil Galgali has demanded for immediate recruitment and deputation of officers to the vacant posts. At present, a lot of pressure is being put on the current staff of the FDA, but once the posts are filled, effective implementation of the Act can be done, said Galgali. A lot of attention and control over the Drug Manufactures and Food item traders is required nowadays to overcome adulteration and black marketing. In such an important department if the strength is increased it will definitely help the system to run on its own, concluded Galgali.
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