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In a major administrative development, the Pondicherry government has suspended drug inspector Dr E Anandakrishnan, who was holding charge as the Controlling and Licensing Authority of the Department of Drugs Control in the Union Territory of Pondicherry.
The disciplinary action comes in the wake of the registration of several criminal cases pertaining to the illegal manufacturing, stocking, and distribution of counterfeit medicines within the territory, including recent raids that exposed fake drug operations extending to overseas markets.
According to the official order issued by secretary to government (Health) Choudhary Mohammed Yasin, the suspension was initiated on allegations that Dr. Anandakrishnan failed to stop the illegal manufacture of spurious drugs despite repeated complaints. The government order alleged ‘systematic, prolonged, and continued negligence’, claiming that the officer failed to conduct regular field visits or gather intelligence on unregistered and unlicensed manufacturing facilities, characterizing the lapse as either a ‘practice of deliberate omission’ or ‘wilful neglect’.
According to the government order, since Dr Anandakrishnan’s notification as the licensing authority in 2022, the region was hit by intermittent reports of spurious medicine rackets. Matters escalated after police busted two illegal manufacturing units recently, following last year's major crackdown where 26 persons were arrested across 13 locations, a case subsequently handed over to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). The order asserted that prompt, definitive enforcement action was lacking until external agencies intervened.
However, the state pharmaceutical manufacturing sector has expressed sharp shock and dismay over the government’s drastic move. Representatives of the Pondicherry Drug Manufacturers Association (PDMA) and local industry sources told Pharmabiz that Dr Anandakrishnan was an upright and able officer who consistently initiated immediate, unyielding action against all regulatory violations. Industry leaders emphasized that under his tenure, strict compliance measures, including mandated 100 percent batch testing and swift sealing of defaulting units, were proactively executed to safeguard public safety.
Trade sources revealed that the disciplinary action against the head of the department has triggered a near-total operational breakdown within the regulatory body. Following Dr Anandakrishnan’s suspension, the department has turned virtually dormant, as contractual drug inspectors operating under the directorate have halted routine market inspections, unit audits, and administrative file processing.
The situation has created severe hardship for legitimate pharmaceutical manufacturers across the Union Territory. With Dr Anandakrishnan being the sole regular drugs inspector in the union territory entrusted with controlling and licensing powers, his removal without an immediate regular replacement has left the licensing office in total disarray. PDMA office-bearers stated that member units are struggling to obtain manufacturing renewals, batch clearances, and statutory approvals, effectively bringing lawful business activities to a standstill.
Meanwhile, departmental sources indicated that the government is currently deliberating on appointing a senior pharmacy officer to hold full charge of the Drugs Controller to restore normalcy to the regulatory office.
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