Maha FDA minister stays methanol firm’s licence suspension

The company, based in Ranjangaon MIDC, will be given another opportunity to present its case at a hearing on November 4

Mumbai: Maharashtra food and drugs administration (FDA) minister Narhari Zirwal has temporarily stayed the regulatory authority’s decision to suspend the licence of a methanol manufacturer in Pune district, following alleged regulatory violations detected during inspections ordered after the May hooch tragedy that claimed 22 lives.

Maharashtra food and drugs administration (FDA) minister Narhari Zirwal has temporarily stayed the regulatory authority’s decision to suspend the licence of a methanol manufacturer in Pune district. (Anshuman Poyrekar/HT Photo)

The company, based in Ranjangaon MIDC, will be given another opportunity to present its case at a hearing on November 4, according to officials aware of the developments.

The firm was among over 300 methanol manufacturers whose licences were suspended by the FDA after the tragedy in Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad. The crackdown was ordered by FDA commissioner Tukaram Mundhe to check compliance with safety and regulatory requirements.

The inspection drive resulted in notices being issued to 405 companies. The licences of 309 were suspended for a month, while 69 had their licences cancelled. In the Pune division, 28 licences were suspended and 15 cancelled.

As previously reported by HT, over 20 companies whose licences were suspended or cancelled had appealed to the FDA minister, seeking relief from the action initiated by Mundhe. Under the appeal process, companies can challenge the FDA commissioner’s decisions before the minister. If their appeals are rejected, they may approach the Bombay High Court.

Accordingly, minister Zirwal looked into the appeals and decided to grant a temporary stay to the action initiated against the Ranjangaon-based company. The stay order, a copy of which was accessed by HT, states: “After listening to their contention, prima facie there is substance in their case.” It does not specify the grounds for granting the relief.

Zirwal was not reachable for comment. His office said he was in a remote area of his constituency in the tribal belt of Nashik district.

An official in the minister’s office said, “As the establishment can challenge the FDA commissioner’s decisions before the minister, we had received 28 appeals against the suspension/cancellation of licences. But minister Zirwal rejected 27 appeals and, in one case, granted a temporary stay and a further hearing. The hearing will be held on November 4.”

Calls and messages to Mundhe went unanswered.