TG SAFE Formed To Tighten Compliance With Food Licences, Safety Norms
The orders came into force from August 15
Hyderabad: The state government has established the Telangana Standards Authority for Food and Essential Drugs (TG SAFE) by bringing the food safety department and drugs control department under a unified administrative framework, given the increase in the volume of licensed food business operators in Telangana. The measure is also intended to strengthen surveillance, enforcement and coordination against unsafe, spurious and substandard food and medicines.
The government will initially implement the unified system in the CURE region, citing the high concentration of food businesses and drug establishments in the area. The move comes amid the growing number and diversity of licensed food businesses and drug establishments, according to the order issued by Chief Secretary Sanjay Jaju setting up TG SAFE.
Senior IPS officer Avinash Mohanty has been posted as commissioner, TG SAFE, in addition to his normal duties. He was earlier posted as Director General, Drugs Control Administration, Telangana, and has also been notified as commissioner of food safety.
According to the government, both departments had common objectives relating to public health, consumer safety, quality assurance and regulatory enforcement, and a unified administrative structure was expected to improve surveillance, intelligence gathering, enforcement, legal support, laboratory services and regulatory outcomes.
Importantly, the move was an administrative integration, while the statutory powers under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 and the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940 would continue to remain with the respective authorities and officers.
A state-level committee on modernisation of food safety and DCA will assess the functioning of the unified authority, including cadre strength, service rules, testing and legal support, intelligence and data-analysis systems and laboratory infrastructure. The committee will also examine the outcomes of the TG SAFE model in the CURE region and make recommendations on creating a unified food and drug department across Telangana.
The new authority will operate through six wings — drug administration, food safety, enforcement, legal and prosecution, laboratory and administrative.
The drug administration wing will continue licensing, inspection, sampling, testing, investigation and regulatory functions under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act. The food safety wing will handle licensing, registration, inspection, sampling, testing and enforcement under the Food Safety and Standards Act.
The enforcement wing will support both statutory wings through intelligence gathering, risk-based inspections and prosecution support, with police personnel to be attached to TG SAFE. The legal and prosecution wing will provide legal and prosecution assistance, while the food safety and drug testing laboratories will be brought under one administrative umbrella.
Common administrative, enforcement, intelligence, legal, laboratory and data-analysis mechanisms will be developed as part of the initial implementation.
The government order provides for necessary budgetary provisions for implementing TG SAFE. It also permits filling vacant sanctioned posts through deputation, contract or outsourcing, as per prescribed procedures. Logistical and support services will also be engaged according to government norms.
