Balakrishna criticises Centre's 'inaction' over fake medicines

Acharya Balakrishna, a close aide of Yoga guru Baba Ramdev on Monday accused the Centre of not taking stern measures against "fake" medicines and instead "targeting" the Patanjali Ayurved Ltd products.Balakrishna, who launched an open market operations of Baba Ramdev-promoted Patanjali Ayurved Ltd products here, marking its entry into South India, told reporters that "fake medicines" worth over Rs 27,000 crore were being sold in the country."Fake drug manufacturers are playing with the health of people but it is unfortunate that the Central government is not checking such companies nor initiating stern measures against them. However, it is rigidly monitoring Baba Ramdev's products," Balakrishna alleged.Asserting that their aim through the Patanjali products was not to make business, but only to make Swadeshi (indigenous) products available, Balakrishna said they plan to join hands with farmers across the country for buying the farm produce directly.Patanjali has five manufacturing units in Haridwar with a capacity to process 1,000 tonnes of raw materials per day, he said.Presently, around 300 tonnes of material for all categories of products is being processed, he said adding that they were looking forward to set up a plant in Andhra Pradesh also in view of availability of medicinal and herbal plants.The Ayurvedic company, which has already launched its open market operations in the north, eastern and north-eastern regions of the country, will launch operations in Bangalore tomorrow and in Tamil Nadu in about a month's time, he said.