In a two-page letter addressed to up to 500 staffers of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), ex-commissioner Mahesh Zagade charted out the way forward for the regulatory authority's officials.

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The state-run FDA consists of over 200 food safety officers and drug inspectors whose primary duty is the enforcement of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act and the Food Standards and Safety Act.

Zagade makes some stark observations in the letter, of which dna has a copy. During his three-year stint with the FDA, Zagade noted that he had entered a department which was not only corrupt but played with human lives.

Referring to the prominent presence of sub-standard quality drugs and the need for robust sample collections, inspections for presence of qualified pharmacists and punitive action under the law, Zagade writes to FDA employees, "The God may be exercising its divine function as the supreme Regulator, however, you in the FDA are the legal extension of this life protecting regulation divinity during current times and, therefore, you have enormous responsibility of being official life protectors of people of Maharashtra.

However, to my shattering astonishment, what I found here was probably a masterly acquired deception chiselled with sharpness of raw skill to scuttle basic provisions of the statutes in such a manner that the society remains blissfully unaware of catastrophic effects of non- implementation of basic legal provisions."

On rampant corruption existing in the system, Zagade said, "Some people are completely and criminally blinded by pursuit of amassing illegal money in these two sectors of food and drugs and it's your duty as a Regulator to contain them by implementation of law rather than being a willing partner in unholy alliance with them. It's my fervent request to all of you that the destiny has given you opportunity to serve mankind .... please don't fritter it away by sharing the gains of ill gotten money that is collected by some unscrupulous people in these sectors."

Zagade was transferred out of FDA last week. He has not been provided another posting. Ironically, the newly posted FDA commissioner Purushottam Bhapkar is also currently holding the additional charge of director, municipal administration, Maharashtra.

On expectations from Bhapkar, wholesalers and stockists said he should work towards implementation of law. "Because the new commissioner is holding two charges at the moment, there has been a lull in activity at the FDA. Inspections have reduced at the moment. He should enforce the drug law for betterment of the public," said Hakim Kapasi, president, North West Chemist Association.