Letter war erupts over inspection of drug de-addiction centre

Sushil Manav

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, July 25

A letter war has erupted between two senior officers over the orders by the Haryana the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to carry out the inspection of the government-run drug-addiction centre at Fatehabad following a Tribune report on free availability of heroin on the centre premises.

Senior Drugs Control Officer (SDCO) Naripen Kumar Goyal, posted in Sirsa, was put on the job. The latter shot off a letter to his boss the same day, pointing out that The Tribune report had not made a mention of medical intoxicants, only 'chitta' (heroin). He attached a copy of the report to support his contention.

Naripen Goyal wrote to Deputy State Drug Controller (DSDC) Adarsh Goyal: “The report mentions only heroin, but your letter mentions medical intoxicants for reasons best known to your good self.” State Drug Controller Narinder Ahooja is on leave.

“Your good self must be aware that de-addiction centres are governed by Haryana De-addiction Centre Rules 2010. You are requested to take up the matter with the competent authority under Rules 6 and 8 which prescribe a state-level licensing authority and a district-level committee.

“We are obliged to provide support and assistance to the inspecting authority and we undertake for that,” Naripen Goyal wrote in his letter dated July 23.

DSDC Adarsh Goyal had written to Naripen Goyal that the FDA would send a team, headed by a senior officer from Fatehabad, to inspect the centre.

“Wherever drugs are stored and dispensed, the FDA has a definite role... Injections like buprenorphine and other opioid drugs are used to treat drug addicts. Giving these in bulk to addicts is illegal,” he wrote.