Telangana Standards Authority for Food and Essential Drugs (TG SAFE) Commissioner Avinash Mohanty
The Telangana government recently merged the Food Safety department and the Drugs Control Administration (DCA) into the Telangana Standards Authority for Food and Essential Drugs (TG SAFE). In conversation with The Hindu, TG SAFE Commissioner Avinash Mohanty talks about the authority’s plans for dedicated enforcement teams, a police component, strengthening its legal and laboratory machinery, addressing the shortage of food inspectors and improving the complaint mechanism.
What will TG SAFE change in food and drug enforcement, and why is a police component needed?Earlier, different components were working independently. Now, we are trying to bring everything under one command. The next step is the creation of a dedicated enforcement team. The team will have officers from the Food and Drug departments as well as the police, who will work together as joint teams. Under the respective Acts, the food officer or drug inspector is empowered to take legal action, while the police will provide support.One thing that was lacking earlier was police support. When the police are involved, it brings additional strength to the team. There can be all kinds of problems and risks during enforcement, so the police component also provides protection. The police also bring intelligence-gathering capabilities and the ability to liaise with local law enforcement.
