Nanded, Jun 3 (UNI) The attitude of negligence of the higher level authority has put a question mark on the survival of the Drug Testing Laboratory and the Government Ayurvedic and Unani pharmacy, only one of its kind in the state, due to non completion of process to purchase raw material meant for the production of the medicines for the last five years. The state has four Ayurvedic colleges and hospitals run at Nanded, Mumbai, Osmanabad and Nagpur but the government Ayurvedic and Unani pharmacy is located only in Nanded City. For the last 50 years it has contributed significantly in production of Ayurvedic and Unani medicines that too of a very high standard. The pharmacy produces 113 kinds of Ayurvedic and 125 Unani medicines licensed by the state Food and Drug Administration. The raw material required for production of the medicines are tested thrice in the laboratory. The produced medicines are also tested vigorously and then only are they released for sale in open market. But the attitude of negligence of the higher authority has put a question mark on survival of the laboratory and pharmacy because of various reasons. Firstly, out of 80 sanctioned posts 17 are still lying vacant causing overburden on the existing employees. The government incurs around Rs 1 crore for salary of the employees. Secondly, because of various reasons the process of releasing tender notice and allotting the work of supplying of raw material for both of the medicines came to halt during the last 3 years. The descending trend of production of the Ayurvedic and Unani medicines during the last five years clearly indicates negligence of the authority. During the last year the production of Unani medicine came to halt and the Ayurvedic medicines were produced that of Rs 7.74 lakh price. In the preceding year 2014-15 the production was also very less i.e. Rs 6. 14 lakh of Ayurvedic medicines and no production of Unani medicines. E-tender could not be published in the year 2013-14 even then production of the Ayurvedic medicine was of Rs 20.11 lakh and that of the Unani production Rs 5.23 lakh. Production of both of kinds of medicines was significant during the year 2012-13 where the Ayurvedic medicines were produced of Rs 14.49 lakh while that of Unani medicines was of Rs 5.67 lakh. Thirdly, the laboratory and pharmacy, though run under the jurisdiction of the Ayurvedic college but the dean of the college has no right to deal with the process of purchasing raw material and that is entrusted with Mumbai level authority who have nothing to do with progress of the pharmacy. If the process of purchasing raw material is not completed during the current year too, the pharmacy will be shut down and there will be no production of any of the medicines. The cumulative effects will be that the patients have to purchase the medicines at exorbitant rates. Now, it is the need of hour that political pressure should be generated and the authorities should be compelled to complete the process of purchasing raw materials for production of Ayurvedic and Unani medicines within the stipulated time limit. The vacant posts should also be filled, otherwise the pharmacy and laboratory will breath their last. UNI XR VS CJ 1155