Maharashtra: Chemists allege corruption in FDA minister’s office

Sanjay Rathod, Food and Drugs Administration minister

The Maharashtra State Chemists and Druggists Association (MSCDA) has asked Chief Minister Eknath Shinde to stop corruption in the office of Food and Drugs Administration Minister Sanjay Rathod. It has named the minister's personal secretary (PS) and officer on special duty (OSD) among others, and threatened a state-wide agitation if action is not taken. MSCDA general secretary Anil Navander wrote a letter on April 18 to the CM detailing the trouble its members face at Rathod's office. "The minister's office is not Mantralaya but bhrashtalaya (house of corruption)," said the letter.

‘Action deliberate'

The complaint stated that the establishments of druggists and chemists are verified/inspected as per the law. But inadvertent mistakes on part of the owners are deliberately used to suspend or terminate their permit/license, it said, further adding that the owners were handed unreasonable punishment for minor lapses. The owners appeal before the minister, but the minister's office doesn't act on it. A decision is not given despite correspondence and our members get punished without being heard, the letter said.

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MSCDA has accused minister's PS Vishal Rathod, OSD Sampat Dawkhar and another officer Chetan Karodidev of demanding a huge amount of money from its members (purportedly for settling the cases). The practice continued despite it being brought to the notice of the CM, deputy CM and Rathod's notice in the past, the letter added. Following the allegations, Shiv Sena (UBT) spokesperson Sanjay Raut demanded Rathod's resignation. It may be mentioned here that Rathod, the then forest minister in the Uddhav Thackeray cabinet, had quit after he was linked to a woman's death. He made a comeback in Shinde's cabinet.

‘Allegations baseless'

Minister Rathod termed the allegations baseless and an attempt to put him under pressure. He said the association has been demanding decisions without (quasi-judicial) hearings. "The appeal happens before the minister after the officers give their verdicts. There have been 7,000 pending cases. The association's office-bearers could also be party to these cases," he said.

Rathod said the FDA was doing its job to ensure that the medicine/drug stores were not operated like grocery shops where everything is available. "These people are earning good money by selling anything like sleeping pills and cough syrups for substance abuse. There are findings of bodybuilders using the drugs. The shops also make money by selling performance enhancing drugs," he said.