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 On the request of the Tamil Nadu Chemists and Druggists Association (TN CDA), the Government of Tamil Nadu has promoted the joint director of the drug control administration (DCA), MN Sridhar, to the rank of director, and appointed him as the head of the department (TN DCA).
Accordingly, Sridhar took charge of the department on December 9. He was continuing as the regular Licensing and Controlling Authority (SLA and CA) of the department from July 18 this year onwards. He said he will provide all possible help to the industry and to the trade, but will not make any compromise on the part of enforcement activities.
Sridhar is a postgraduate in pharmaceutical sciences (M Pharm) and has 32 years’ experience in enforcement activities of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act.
Since July 2022, the post of director of the department has been held by IAS officers who were with no background in pharmacy. This has created difficulties and myriad problems to the pharmaceutical traders and manufacturers who were unable to present the plight of their businesses to the head of the department. The industry association, TN IDMA, was also demanding the government to consider the senior most regulatory officer in the department to become the director of the DCA.
Last month, the chemists’ body, TN CDA, led by its president SA Ramesh called on chief minister MK Stalin at his office and submitted one memorandum urging the government to appoint a director from the department itself. The association apprised the CM that an officer from the regulatory side of the department could only be effective in optimizing the enforcement activities for the smooth supply and distribution of pharmaceuticals in the state. They apprised the government that officers from outside of the department were unaware of the scientific aspects of the pharmaceutical manufacturing, allied industries’ operations and the pharma trade business. Unlike other sectors, pharmaceutical business is aimed to protect the health of the people.
Considering the request of the TN CDA, the government decided to elevate the joint director, MN Sridhar, to the rank of director, said SA Ramesh, president of the TNCDA, who visited the chief minister along with other office-bearers. Ramesh said TN CDA is planning to felicitate the director in a function very shortly.
Meanwhile, the former president of the TN CDA, Mannargudi Ramachandran said the appointment of Sridhar will help the government’s scheme of Muthalvar Marunthakam, the generic store pharmacies, going to be introduced by the Tamil Nadu government. He praised the government for appointing a regulator officer in the department as the head of the drug control administration.
The pharma industry in Tamil Nadu also expressed their happiness over the appointment of Sridhar as the director of the department. The chairman of the TN IDMA, J Jayaseelan said the elevation of Sridhar is seen as a good sign for the industry. The pharma park at Dindivanam was materialized during his time as the controlling authority, and the industry hopes for further support from him for the proposed API park in Tamil Nadu. He said TN IDMA will felicitate him at his office tomorrow.
The president of the Tamil Nadu Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association (TN PMA) said Sridhar knows everything about the industry, also he knows the problems of the manufacturers, especially of the MSME industries.
Dr S V Veeramani, chairman of the Pharmaceuticals Export Promotion Council of India (Pharmexcil) and CMD of the Fourrts Lab in Chennai, said Sridhar’s expertise and experience will become an advantage to the entire pharma sector in Tamil Nadu. He said, Sridhar is very much supportive to the pharma industry and helpful to entrepreneurs.
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