The Goa Pharmaceuticals Manufacturers’ Association (GPMA) will soon be approaching the Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) urging him to grant more powers to the sub zonal office of Central Drug Standards Control Organization (CDSCO) in Goa to reduce the time consumed in seeking approvals from west zone office of CDSCO in Mumbai. The Association wants the sub zonal office of CDSCO in Goa should be empowered with more powers like sanctioning the licenses and other certificates.

The association is planning to write a letter to DCGI, urging him to empower the local office with more powers to reduce the time taken in conducting inspection and sanctioning approvals from CDSCO Mumbai.

The sub zonal CDSCO office in Goa falls under the West Zone office of the CDSCO. The sub zonal office is following CDSCO Mumbai and all the sanctioning of licenses and certificates are issued by the CDSCO Mumbai office.

Sanjay Priolkar, president of GPMA says, “We are soon going to write to DCGI to grant the sub zonal office with more powers, right now it is very time consuming in seeking the licenses and certificate as it is granted only after the joint inspection done by the officers from CDSCO Mumbai and GOA FDA. If the local office will be empowered to do this work, it will reduce the burden of the zonal office and time of the applicants.”

The sub zonal and port office is currently responsible to look after the work related to exports of drugs and cosmetics from Goa. Goa has a large established pharmaceutical industry and it is estimated that the pharmaceutical industry in Goa contributes around 10 per cent of India’s total pharmaceutical output. The association is of view that if the sub zonal office is empowered with more powers, the pharma industry will grow faster in the state.