Show-cause notice to Baddi plot owner in spurious drugs case

Tribune News Service

Solan, November 24

Taking note of illegal and spurious drug manufacturing at an industrial plot in Baddi, the officials of the State Pollution Control Board (SPCB) today issued a show-cause notice to the plot owner to explain why his power connection should not be snapped within seven days for illegal drug manufacturing.

The said plot number 29 was raided by the drug control administration this morning. It led to seizure of seven to eight machines used in drug manufacturing, stock of drugs and raw material, scrap and packaging material. The premises were sealed after the raid.

No permission from SPCB, other depts

• No regulatory permission sought from the SPCB, Drug Control Administration, state taxes and excise department, as the plot was yet to be transferred in the name of Trizal Formulations
• The plot owner, however, started manufacturing spurious drugs
• He made huge monetary gains and did not pay the GST as the unit was not registered

Navneet Marwaha, State Drugs Controller (SDC), said that, “Machines for manufacturing tablets, capsules, packaging, mixing, blistering, coating, etc., were found in the said plot which has been sealed after a raid today. Various investigations pertaining to the plot ownership and sale of spurious drugs were underway.”

“Drugs were manufactured by Trizal Formulations which had no manufacturing license. A board of Sarah Enterprises which was affixed outside the plot was not registered with any department. It dealt with pharma machinery, lab equipment,” said Navneet.

Praveen Gupta, Chief Engineer, SPCB, Baddi, said, “It has come to our notice that illegal drugs were manufactured at an industrial plot number 29 at Baddi, without seeking the mandatory consent from the board. A seven-day show-cause notice has been issued to the plot owner, Signature Steriles, today to snap the power connection. The said firm too had not sought any authorisation from the SPCB for any manufacturing activity.”

The drug authorities have already arrested three persons — an Agra resident and kingpin Mohit Bansal and his associates Vikas Kaushal of Indore and Atul Gupta of Auriya — after registration of a case under relevant sections of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act. They are in police remand till Saturday.

Prior to commencement of operation of any industry, project or activity, consent to operate is required under the provisions of the Water (Prevention & Control of Pollution) Act, 1974 and Air (Prevention & Control of Pollution) Act, 1981 from the SPCB.

Enquires from the Industries Department (ID) revealed that the said plot was allotted to Signature Steriles which had moved an application for transferring the plot to Trizal Formulations in August. Mohit Bansal and Vikas Chaurasia are shown as the joint owners of Trizal Formulations as per their record informed an official from the ID.

The duo were directed by the ID to deposit the transfer fee on November 17 after the plot transfer was approved by the department. This fee was yet to be paid and the plot remained allotted in the name of Signature Steriles.

“Agra drug authorities were verifying the distribution of spurious drugs made by Mohit Bansal’s wholesale chemist shop following which they would be sampled for lab analysis,” said Navneet.

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