Although the Central Council of Research in Siddha (CCRS) was formed in 2010 by the Union health ministry by bifurcating CCRAS, no steps have been taken to make the new body functional as yet, alleged experts in siddha community in Tamil Nadu.
According to them, even after three years of its formation neither the scientific advisory committee nor the general body was properly constituted by the concerned authorities. The apathy from the side of the authorities may thwart all the projects to be implemented with the funding of Ayush department, Siddha experts felt.
While charging the administrators for their shortcomings in bringing up the institution, Vaidya S Usman Ali, president of Centre for Traditional Medicines and Research (CTMR), Chennai said the central ministry formed the CCRS in September 2010 with a view to promote and popularize siddha system of treatment and medicines in national and international level. The force behind the formation was the incessant pressure exerted by the siddha fraternity in India and the diaspora. Unfortunately, the Council has so far not been able to initiate even the basic needs for working and assisting it, he said.
Vaidya Ali, who was additional director in the Ayush department, further alleged that though the Council started functioning in Chennai as its headquarter one year ago, recruitment of officers for key posts like director for Siddha Central Research Institute (SCRI) and assistant directors in various units under the Council has not been made yet. Advertisement was published in the media for recruiting officials for the senior posts in last year, but afterwards no action was seen from the side of the Council management to realize it. He said this indifference on the part of the officers may be because of a deliberate attempt to hold key positions for longer period by the present officials in the Council. Vaidya Usman Ali wanted an embargo on retaining the higher posts by the working staffs without recruiting new qualified and experienced candidates.
The finalized projects to be implemented are being delayed due to the delay in recruiting senior level officers, hence the allocated funds are getting lapsed. The president of CTMR said the senior research-fellows (SRF) recruited on yearly contract are not able to take up the projects because of lack of senior level officers to guide them.
Other allegation made by Siddha experts is that the Siddha dossier has not been finalized yet and the serious mistakes in the ‘Essential Drug List’ were not corrected. Even though suggestions were given to correct it, no interest was taken by the concerned authorities to correct it and published the same in the website of the department, Usman Ali alleged.