This fact came to the fore when officials of the Baddi-based drug control administration (DCA) raided a nutraceutical unit, Jaina Vision, at Kishanpura in the late hours on May 7. They confiscated 20,270 capsules of pregablin and 7.63 kg loose pills. This drug is used to treat moderate to severe pain but widely misused for drug addicts. The raid followed receipt of input from Kangra where drugs such as pregabalin, tapentadol, tramadol and NDPS drug formulations were found being sold nefariously.
Dr Manish Kapoor, State Drugs Controller, said, “Probe conducted by drug officials revealed that Jaina Vision had been illicitly manufacturing allopathic drugs though it only had a food licence secured from the FSSAI, Ghaziabad.”
“Since the powers to inspect and grant licence to nutraceutical manufacturers has been entrusted with the FSSAI, the state drug officials can’t inspect such units,” he said.
A subsequent raid conducted at another illicit manufacturing facility at Billanwali led to the seizure 6,000 anti-cold tablets, 500 bottles of anti-cold syrup and 2,500 rabiperazole domperidone capsules, besides 1,60,000 tablets of tramadol and 60,000 tablets of alprazolam. Most of these drugs are misused for addiction and are readily sold in the market. Other drugs like rabiperazole domperidone capsules are used to treat common ailments like acid reflex and attract large number of buyers.
Dr Kapoor said absence of an official from the FSSAI has become a cause for concern for them as this has left nutraceutical manufacturers without any regulatory control, prompting them to indulge in such mischief every now and then. He informed that the issue will be taken up afresh with the central authorities.
Probe revealed that they were surreptitiously supplying these drugs to the neighbouring states like Punjab and Haryana where they are in high demand by drug addicts.
Till 2006, all nutraceutical companies were within the ambit of the Prevention of Food Adulteration Act, 1954, and the Food Safety Department of the state had the authority to test the samples, conduct investigations and issue the licences. However, when the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, came into force, all powers were shifted to central agencies.
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