Nagpur: Nagpur’s Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has taken strong action against violations in the city’s pharmaceutical trade, suspending over 120 drug licences in 2024–25. The crackdown comes at a time when the district is grappling with a severe shortage of inspectors and increasing risks of counterfeit medicines.
Licences Suspended and Cancelled
- Retail drug sellers: 113 licences suspended, 3 cancelled
- Wholesale sellers: 13 licences suspended, 1 cancelled
Counterfeit Drug Incidents
The action follows several alarming cases. Last year, an antibiotic named ‘Resif-500’ was found to contain no trace of Ciprofloxacin. Kalmeshwar police arrested six people in connection with the case. Soon after, another antibiotic, ‘Riclav 625’, was discovered to be fake, but only after nearly 77,000 tablets had already been distributed to patients.
Manpower Shortage in FDA
Nagpur district, with a population of over 46 lakh, has nearly 5,000 medical stores and 7,000 clinics. Yet, the FDA operates with only three drug inspectors, while seven sanctioned posts remain vacant. Each inspector is responsible for thousands of establishments, making thorough and frequent inspections almost impossible.
Gold Rate
08 Aug 2025
The State Government has sanctioned recruitment for 109 new FDA posts across Maharashtra, but the appointment process may take months. There is still no clarity on how many of these will be allotted to Nagpur.
