The protracted legal wrangle, now pending before the Supreme Court, has delayed the regularization of Dr G N Singh as the Drug Controller General of India (DCGI), even as apprehensions are being raised about the ongoing ad hoc appointment mechanism affecting the 'continuity and stability' of the drug regulatory system.
The contempt of court petition filed against the appointment of Dr G N Singh will come up only in July after the vacation of the Supreme Court, as the legal tangle continued to play spoilsport in getting a regular DCGI for the country and forcing the health ministry to continue with ad hoc arrangement.
With the UPSC clearing the selection of Dr Singh and health ministry endorsing it, the only roadblock on the way of his regularisation is the pending case and the health ministry does not want to invite further flaks by rushing into a decision, sources said.
The Supreme Court will decide on the date for the hearing only after the mid-year vacation that ceases by June 22. Though the Union health ministry filed its affidavit, the petitioner asked for more time when the case was scheduled for hearing on April 27.
When contacted, Dilip Kumar, secretary of the Tamil Nadu branch Indian Pharmacy Graduates Association (IPGA) who filed the contempt of the court petition, said he was going ahead with the case and denied the reports of possible withdrawal of the petition. The petitioner had asked for more time to study the affidavit filed by the Ministry.
DCGI Dr Singh, talking to Pharmabiz, refused to be dragged into the controversy as the case is sub judice and reposed faith in the system. However, he made it clear that the ad hoc appointment would not restrain him from taking decisions to ensure the public safety in health.
He is the second ad hoc DCGI after Dr Surinder Singh demitted the office around seven months ago. He was given the additional charge as the DCGI on February 21 and after three months assignment, it was further extended for another three months with effect from May 22.
The industry and public health groups, meanwhile, raised concerns on the temporary mechanism citing that it would affect the functioning of the CDSCO as it could not ensure stability and continuity at a time the system need to be beefed up and strengthened.