Central Drugs Standards Control Organization(CDSCO) has constituted a committee to review the manpower structure of the Central Drugs Laboratory (CDL), Kolkata.  Dr. BR Jagashetty, former Karnataka drugs controller has been appointed as the chairman of the Committee. The committee will need to submit its report within two months from the date of its first meeting scheduled in mid November 2014 at New Delhi.

In a communiqué the Drugs Quality Control wing coming under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, has indicated that the five member committee led by Dr. Jagashetty will be supported by four members: Dr. RA Singh, director, Regional Drug Test Laboratory (RDTL) at Chandigarh , Pitam Singh deputy director  Administration(D) CDSCO HQ, New Delhi, Anita Tripathi, Under secretary, Drugs Quality Control and C Hariharan, bacteriologist and director, CDL, Kolkata.

The five member committee is assigned to undertake a review of the existing manpower strength in the CDL, Kolkata. It will need to also suggest rationalisation of personnel including abolition or creation of posts to meet the requirements of CDL, Kolkata.

Besides, the Committee will also need to make recommendations for bringing the lab’s manpower in harmony with the organisational structure of other Drug Testing Labs under the Central Drugs Standards Control Organization.

Further, the Committee is also assigned with the responsibility to suggest amendments in the functional jurisdiction of the lab, in an effort to enhance the quality and improve the standards of testing the samples in the Drug Test Labs under Central Drugs Standards Control Organization.

In his capacity as the Karnataka drugs controller, Dr. Jagashetty had chaired the DCC sub-committee for Amendments to Drugs & Cosmetic Rules constituted by DCGI, and was selected as member, Drug Technical Advisory Board (DTAB), besides being empanelled on two sub-committees for computerisation and spurious drugs.  He was also chosen to accompany DCGI Dr GN Singh to represent India at Estonia with 350 global drug regulators from 100 countries for a WHO conference.

During his tenure as head of the state drugs control department, he ensured the need for computerisation, speedy clearances of manufacturing pharmacy trade licences, disbursing of quick test reports and ensuring streamlined operations across the offices located across the state. Efforts to strengthen the teams in the three DTLs at Bengaluru, Hubli and Bellary were also done.