Patna HC to health dept: Tell how tainted drug wholesalers got their licences restored

PATNA: The Patna high court on Monday ordered the principal secretary of health department to clarify the situation that how revoked licence tainted drug wholesalers who were found selling fake and spurious drugs including those meant only for supply in government hospitals, were restored by the appellate authority of the department.

The bench of chief justice Rajendra Menon and justice Rajeev Ranjan Prasad, while hearing two public interest litigation filed by Vikash Chandra alias Guddu Baba and a suo-motu cognizance taken on a TOI’s report, ordered the principal secretary to file the counter affidavit within four weeks’ time.

Chandra had also urged the court to order the concerned officials for transferring several pharmacists who were posted in Patna Medical College and Hospital (PMCH) for more than 20 years.

The petitioner, in a supplementary counter affidavit submitted on Monday, appraised the court that the health minister Mangal Pandey restored licence of 11 drug wholesalers across Bihar who were allegedly found involved in selling fake and spurious drugs, together on April 19 this year.

Chandra had annexed 11 letters procured through RTI in the affidavit in which the minister had restored licences of Srinivas Laboratories Private Limited at Nandlal Chapra in Agamkuan, Mahalaxmi Traders at Ashok Raj Path, Ashtha Medico at Professor’s Colony in Kankarbagh, New Revival Homeo Pharmacy at Sabjibagh, SM Drug at Mulchand Road and Bhagwati Drugs at Thana Road of Dalsinghsarai, both in Samastipur, Prakash Medical Store at Chand in Kaimur, Bihar National Pharmacy, KR Indo German Homeo Hall, German Homeo Hall and Economic Homeo Pharmacy, all four at Bichli Road in Bhojpur.

The petitioner had appraised the court that the DIG (central range) Rajesh Kumar had found allegations against Shrinivas Laboratories true and had submitted his report to the high court on May 10.

The court was also appraised that expired anti-snake venom serum and its rappers were seized from Mahalaxmi Traders during a raid conducted by drug inspectors on May 27 last year.

Chandra had also urged the court to issue orders that the drug inspectors who had unearthed the racket of sales of fake and spurious drugs under “Operation Drug Mafia”, must not be transferred at present.