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Dhanraj Khamatkar takes charge

P.T. Jyothi Datta

Mumbai, July 18 It is the office that raised questions on the then unregulated nature of medical devices or stents in particular, put baby oils under the scanner and opened a can of worms on chocolate-makers. But the Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration seems to be witnessing a churn at the top with as much consistency as it raised and put in the public arena consumer-relevant issues.

Mr Dhanraj Khamatkar has taken charge as the new Commissioner of the Maharashtra FDA, from this month. He is the fourth head of the State FDA in three years, a statistic that causes some discomfort for local drug-makers who have to deal with a new regulator virtually every year.

Food and drug-related issues are on-going with the FDA’s office, Mr Khamatkar told Business Line. The regulator is also keeping a hawk-eye on milk adulteration, he added.

Before assuming office at the helm of the state FDA, Mr Khamatkar was heading Mahananda Dairy. Meanwhile, the previous state FDA chief, Mr Amitabh Chandra has now become the Principle Secretary, Medical Education and Drugs.

Though the official term of the State FDA chief is three years, the office has most often seen a pre-mature exit.

But FDA officials play down any hint of a controversy, given the sensitive nature of the issues the office has raised. Appointments in the State are a routine affair, said one representative, and since the chiefs are experienced bureaucrats, work does not get unsettled, he said.

In July 2006, Mr Amitabh Chandra had replaced Mr Ramesh Kumar, who had taken charge in May 2005. He in turn took over from Mr Ramakrishnan who had assumed office in July 2004. And Mr Ramakrishnan had replaced the then Commissioner, Mr Uttam Khobragade.

The local pharma industry points out that there are significant issues that affect drug companies in the region, like the quality upgradation of small-scale drug manufacturing plants, the issues around nutraceuticals and labour.

The chief of the FDA should have a stint of at least three years, points out Mr Daraa Patel of the Indian Drug Manufacturer’s Association, as otherwise the person changes even as he comes to grips with issues. The Maharashtra region contributes about 25 per cent of the domestic pharma sales of over Rs 35,000 crore, he pointed out.

More Stories on : Pharmaceuticals | Regulatory Bodies & Rulings | Standards & Benchmarks | Maharashtra

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