VACB raid on offices of Drugs Control Department

The Vigilance Department, on Friday, conducted statewide surprise checks on the district and zonal offices of the Drug Control Department after allegations that delay in testing the samples of drugs which were sent from the distributor to the testing labs was intentional.

The surprise checks code named ‘Operation Tablet’ which began at 11 a.m. lasted till evening.

Apart from the district and zonal offices, the testing labs of the Drug Control Department in Thiruvananthapuram and certain wholesale depots of private distributors were also targeted by a special Vigilance team.

Vigilance and Anti-Corruption bureau ADGP N Shankar Reddy said that the raid was launched to take stock of the situation prevailing in the Drug Control Department.

“Our sources revealed that delay in testing the samples and issuing reports is rampant in the state.

In Kollam district, it was found that the results of painkillers manufactured by three private drug firms were issued nine months after taking the samples.

By the time the tablets, which were of sub-standard quality, had been sold out. Numerous such cases have been reported recently from various districts.

We will check whether the delay was intentional or caused by staff shortage or due to the lack of modern equipment. The report will be submitted to the government,” he said.

Shankar Reddy also said that the delay was also detected in renewing licences of the manufacturers and wholesale distributors.”

This allows the wholesale dealers to distribute spurious or sub-standard medicines to the retail dealer,” he explained.

The compiled report of the Vigilance raid would be submitted to the government. The government would then act according to the recommendations of the Vigilance report.