NewZNew (Chandigarh) : In order to effectively implement the provision of Drugs and Cosmetics Act 1940 & Rules, Punjab Government has recently constituted a Centralized Drug Cell comprising of three Zonal Licensing Authorities (Drugs) to conduct joint raids in the State of Punjab to check the sale of sub-standard and unethical habit forming Drugs under the supervision of Commissioner, Food & Drugs Administration, Punjab. This was stated here today by Ms. Vini Mahajan, Principal Secretary, Health & Family Welfare. She added that recently this Centralized Drug Cell has conducted raids at various places of Punjab including Bathinda and Nabha, during which medicines worth Rs. 25 Lakh have been seized by the Health Department.
Vini Mahajan informed that during the raids 13 types of allopathic drugs worth Rs. 4,92,000/- were confiscated from unlicensed residential premises of Mr. Navneet Kansal S/o Sh. Sham Lal at Nai Basti, Bathinda. The seized drugs included Tramadol & Alprazolam. 3 samples have been taken and sent to Govt. Lab for test & analysis. On the other hand, raid was also conducted at M/s Bhola Medical Agencies, Bedi Market, Bathinda from where 2 types of drugs worth Rs. 1,83,500/- have been seized which included Tramadol & Chlordiazepoxide. 4 samples have been taken for test & analysis. The teams of Health Department also inspected M/s New Himanshu Pharma, Gandhi Market, Bathinda from where 3 types of drugs worth Rs. 75,600/- were seized including Tramadol & Nandrolone (anabolic steroid).
Principal Secretary further stated that teams of Centralized Drug Cell also inspected the premises of M/s Raja Distributors and its godowns situated at Atma Ram colony, Near Sadar Thana Road, Nabha and seized 21 & 16 types of objectionable allopathic drugs from two different godowns, which were stocked for sale and distribution in the premises. The in-charge of the godown Balwinder Kumar could not show the purchase and sale records of these drugs as well as drug sale licenses. Also 20 types of samples were taken for test and analysis by the CDC team. A recovery of drugs worth Rs. 11.4 Lakh has been made by the team. The team also inspected the premises of M/s British Medical Store and its godowns situated at Kartarpura Mohala, Near Civil Hospital, Nabha and seized 50 types of allopathic drugs from the unlicensed godown which were stocked for sale and distribution in the premises. The in-charge of the godown Mohan Lal could not produce the purchase and sale records of the drug as well as drug sale licenses. Also 5 types of samples were taken for test and analysis. A recovery of drugs worth Rs. 6.24 lakh has been made by the team. The team comprised of Navjot Kaur, ZLA Patiala; Jai Jai Kar Singh, Drug Inspector, Patiala-3; Sudha Dehal, Drug inspector, Patiala-3; Navpreet Singh, Drug Inspector, Fatehgarh Sahib; Santosh Kumar, Drugs Inspector, Sangrur-1, Parneet Kaur, Drug Inspector, Sangrur-2 and Rohit Kalra, Drugs Inspector, Patiala-1.
Vini Mahajan said that in future also, such raids will be conducted to check the availability of sub-standard drugs, habit forming and illegal drugs in the State of Punjab. She said that Sh. Surjeet Kumar Jyani, Health & Family Welfare Minister has already given strict directions to the department to deal with the violators of the drug and cosmetic act with iron hands and to tighten the noose around nefarious elements involved in manufacturing or trade of unethical drugs.
