The Andhra Pradesh Drugs Control Administration (APDCA) is planning to decentralize the drug department by appointing joint directors in the Rayalaseema, Andhra and Telengana regions of the state. The joint directors will be vested with licensing and controlling powers on 1600 manufacturers and others as they do not have to traverse to the state capital for getting their works done.

APDCA director general (drugs and copyright) R P Meena said that the department has sent a proposal to the state government for the decentralization of the drug department for the public and administrative convenience. Once the proposal is approved by the state government, a joint director will be appointed in each of the three regions of the state and people do not have to come to Hyderabad for each and every work. "The proposed decentralization of licensing and controlling power would be on par with those of Maharashtra Food and Drug Control Administration", he said.

However, Meena said the five manufacturing zones of R C Puram, Jeedimetla, Balanagar, Uppal and Hayat Nagar, scattered over three districts, namely Medak, Hyderabad and Ranga Reddy, where the concentration of the pharma industry is the maximum in the state, will be placed directly under the supervision of director of drug control administration.

As per the proposal, the drug department will appoint one assistant director in each of the 21 districts in the state with licensing power for the retail and wholesale of the trade. However, the manufacturing licensing authority will be the joint director of the region. Besides, there will be deputy director for supervising every three districts in the state, Meena said.

To implement the proposal, he said, the drug department has a sent a proposal to the government to appoint 2 more joint directors, 6 deputy directors, 15 assistant directors, 50 drug inspectors, 100 typists and 100 attendants.