THE UttarPradesh Assembly witnessed noisy scene son the second day of the Winter Session on Monday as Samajwadi Party(SP) members created anup roar over the alleged illegal trade of codeine cough syrup,claiming that hundred soft children had died, a charge strongly denied by the Government. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath strongly rebuttedallegations by Leaderof the Opposition Mata Prasad Pandey,as serting in the Assembly that no such case has come to the notice of the State Government sofar. He said the cases related to illegal diversion of the syrup were being pursued under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances(NDPS)Act,and the State Government successfully defended its stand in court.

 

Launching ashar pattackon the Samajwadi Party,Adityanath alleged that the largest whole saler involved in the codeine syrup case,first arrested by the special task force(STF)in2016, was issued a licence when the SP was in power. Replying to the issue raised by the Opposition as soon as the House proceedingsbegan, the Chief Minister said the matter appeared to be“politically motivated”.He said,“There is not a single case of death due to fake drugs reported in Uttar Pradesh till date,”and added that en force mentagencies remain vigilant. “From time to time,the Food Safety and Drug Administration (FSDA)conductsraids and takes strict action again sterring firms,” Adityanath added. He also categorically said, “There has been no death in Uttar Pradesh due to code in esyrup.

 

Cases related to illegal diversion of the syrup were being pursued under the NDPS Act, and the State Government successfully defended its stand in court.” Adityanath clarified that code in esyrup is not manfactured in Uttar Pradesh,and the State only has stockists and whole salers.Production takes place in States like Himachal Pradeshand Madhya Pradesh. The death cases that came to light were reported from there State sand were linked to a syrup manufactured in Tamil Nadu,he said.Calling the matter one of illegal version,not adulter action, the Chief Minister said wholesalers from districts in cluding Saharanpur, Ghaziabad, Varanasi,Lucknow and Kanpur were involved in diverting the syrup to States and countries where prohibition exists, lead ingtoits misuse.“Suchmedicines can not be consumed without medical advice, especially by children,”he said,adding that the syrup was commonlyprescribed by doctors for cough