Govt letting off spurious drug perpetrators: DAK

Independent inquiry will role many heads
Srinagar: President Doctors Association Kashmir (DAK) Dr Nisar ul Hassan has said that it is shocking that government is shielding spurious drug perpetrators.
According to a statement issued to KNS, Dr Hassan has said: “We are anguished to know that crime branch in its supplementary charge sheet has let off Lotika Khajuria the then deputy drug controller. Earlier she was indicted as there was substantial evidence to prove her complicity in the purchase and supply of spurious drugs for government hospitals .She along with other members of purchase committee (PC) had deliberately overlooked the fake and fraudulent tendering documents and had facilitated the commission of crime.”
The DAK president has alleged that the government has already given a clean chit to the then Health Minister Sham Lal Sharma whose involvement in spurious drug scam is proved by a letter from Anees Choudry wherein he mentions that Minister directed chairperson of PC to go ahead with rate contract without checking the potency of the drug and credentials of the firm.
“The members of verification board of Directorate of Health services Kashmir under the administrative control of Director Dr Salem u Rehman, who have deliberately overlooked the credentials of supplier / manufacturer, have also been left out by investigating authority,” he added.
Dr Hassan has said that the DAK exposed the spurious drug scam last year and since then hundreds of drugs have been declared spurious/substandard killing children and adults. “Drug department is hand in glove with spurious drug mafia and are in league with shoddy pharmaceutical companies. The department has shown utter disregard to their duties by not taking samples for analysis.”
He said that if this scandal had come to fore in any other state, government would have been sued for inaction, but here victims are disempowered Kashmiris and comfort level for government is secure.
“Kashmir is a den of spurious drugs and this deadly business has political patronage. DAK demands independent inquiry in spurious drug scam so that many heads will roll as the culprits are being shielded by investigating authority. Fake drug scam is an unforgivable commission of crime as precious human lives are lost and perpetrators should face public trial.” (KNS)