It's been a week since the Maharashtra State Chemists & Druggists Association (MSCDA) made allegations of corruption in state Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Minister Sanjay Rathod's office and threatened to go on strike if no action was taken. It's not the first time that the state chemists and druggists body has made such allegations. In 2013, a committee was set up to address such complaints but was discontinued after the change of government in 2014. It was never re-establised. During the tenure of former chief minister Prithviraj Chavan, the then state government had on July 3, 2013 set up a committee to look into the issues raised by the association then. It was headed by the additional chief secretary, Medical Education and Drugs department. The 10-member committee included the FDA commissioner, representatives from the association, the Indian Medical Association (IMA) and consumer forum, among others. “The committee had one or two meetings after its formation. Later no meetings were held,” said Anil Navandar, secretary, MSCDA. According to sources in the FDA, the committee was disbanded after the formation of the new government and later it was not reconstituted. Ten years later in 2023, with MSCDA levelling serious allegations of corruption against the staff in the FDA minister's office, the government has no platform to redress the grievances. “We have been told that a meeting with respect to our complaints will be held at the minister's level. We hope that the meeting is organised soon,” said Navandar. The association, in its letter dated April 18 addressed to Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, accused Rathod's personal secretary and officer on special duty of indulging in corruption and claimed that despite the association meeting Shinde, Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Rathod, no action has been taken in the matter. Rathod has denied allegations of graft levelled against his office saying the association had demanded a stay on the orders of suspension of licences without holding hearing. "The allegations are baseless and seem to have been made to pressure me," Rathod said earlier. Speaking to The Indian Express, Navandar said that each and every allegation was true and the minister should initiate a probe at his level. “We have nothing to gain by pressuring anyone,” he said.
