VT Paunikar, joint commissioner (drugs), Konkan division, Thane

In a first-of-its-kind victory for the Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (FDA) against a Haryana-based Ayurvedic company, a court, ruling in its favour, ordered that the Rs 28 lakh-worth drugs it seized, be distributed to poor and needy patients in the state. The case dates back to September last year, when the Navi Mumbai FDA seized Ayurvedic drugs from a Haryana-based company for violating the Drugs and Magic Remedies (Objectionable Advertisements) Act.