In the last three years, as many as 19 officials from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) including assistant commissioners, food safety officials (FSO) and drugs inspectors have been suspended in the state for reasons like bribery, extortion and dereliction of duty.
Of them, 11 officials have been suspended for taking bribe and seven among them are attached to FDA’s food department.
“If we have to overhaul the system, we have to start from within. These suspensions are just part of the long needed approach to bring about a positive change, make the department more people-centric and service oriented and imbibe values of accountability,” state FDA commissioner Mahesh Zagade told TOI on Friday.
Of the 19 suspensions made between March 2011 and June 2014, 13 suspensions are that of officials attached to FDA’s food department including FSOs (11) and assistant commissioners (2) followed by suspension of five drug inspectors and a peon.
Soon after assuming charge towards the end of 2011 fiscal, Zagade suspended a drug inspector in Amravati district for taking bribe on March 18, 2011, followed by the suspension of a food safety official in Akola district in August 2011.
A food safety official in Wardha district was suspended in November 2012 for fabricating a panchnama report. A slew of suspensions followed from 2013 onwards. A total of nine officials were suspended alone in 2013, followed by six suspensions in 2014. Two drug inspectors from Pune were suspended for dereliction of duty in August 2013 and for taking bribe in March 2014 respectively.
Suspensions between March 2011 and June 2014
* Assistant commissioners (food): 2
* Food safety officials: 11
* Drug inspectors: 5
* Peon: 1
Total 19
(Source: State FDA, Mumbai)
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