Telangana plans merging Food Safety and Drugs Control departments to raise enforcement
The Telangana government is evaluating a proposal to merge the Food Safety and Drugs Control departments to improve enforcement against adulterated goods. Officials believe the integration will streamline inspections, laboratory testing, and legal actions.
Why it matters
Consolidating regulatory bodies can enhance public health outcomes by creating more efficient oversight of food and pharmaceutical safety standards.
Telangana is considering integrating its Food Safety and Drugs Control Administration (DCA) departments to strengthen enforcement against adulterated food and counterfeit medicines, with Health Minister C. Damodar Raja Narasimha on Wednesday (July 15) directing officials to prepare an action plan after examining the proposal.
During a review meeting in Hyderabad, senior officials briefed the Minister on the functioning of both the departments, outlining operational challenges and hurdles in safeguarding public health. They said that although both departments share a common objective, their separate functioning limits coordination. They highlighted staff shortages, difficulties in conducting inspections, the need to strengthen laboratory capacity, and delays in investigations and legal proceedings.
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