Bombay High Court seeks details of MAPL 'irregularities'

The Bombay High Court has sought details of alleged 'irregularities' in Maharashtra Antibiotics and Pharmaceuticals Ltd (MAPL) from the secretary of the Food and Drugs Administration, the managing director of MAPL and the secretary, Union ministry of chemicals and fertilisers.

This follows a petition filed by the Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI), which charged the top bosses of MAPL with corruption, misuse of funds and abuse of position.

The petitioner has claimed that government agencies such as the Food and Drugs Administration, government of Maharashtra, MIDC police station, the Sales Tax Department, State Employment Department and Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) have investigated several irregularities at MAPL.

However, no action has been taken against the concerned officers so far. The FDA had identified six distributors of MAPL involved in Rs 32 crore of irregularities but the department decided to close the case without filing a police complaint.

According to the petitioner, the CBI had registered a case against A K Dhote, managing director, MAPL, P G Khonde, manager (marketing) and Purushottam Karva of MAP Pharma, Amravati, but no action has been taken.

DYFI had filed several complaints in the past and many elected representatives had also raised this issue, but nothing has been done so far.

The petitioner claimed that the investigating authorities and the government of India turned a blind eye towards a Rs 2.07 crore scam and ICDS Health Kit for 34,581 Anganwadis in the State of Maharashtra.

The amount of Rs 2.07 crore received from Commissioner, ICDS, Government of Maharashtra, was deposited in a co-operative bank, Dwarkadas Mantri Nagari Sahkari Bank, Beed, by opening a new account.

Curiously, the petitioner claimed, the entire amount was taken out in the name of M/s Vaishnavi Enterprises, Beed owned by one Mrs Mundada and M/s Map Pharma, Amravati, distributor of MAPL for Maharashtra.

The DYFI in this criminal writ petition has also brought to the notice of the court allegedly illegal recruitment at MAPL on which inquiry was made by the Regional Employment Officer, but no action was taken.

Such scams have resulted in huge losses to MAPL and the factory was closed down rendering 250 workers jobless, the petitioner claimed.