Coldrif Row: CAG Report Reveals Tamil Nadu Drug Testing Lapses As 23 Children Die In Madhya Pradesh After Consuming Toxic Cough Syrup

New Delhi: The deaths of at least 23 children in Madhya Pradesh after consuming adulterated cough syrup renewed scrutiny of Tamil Nadu’s drug testing failures.

A performance audit by the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG), accessed by The Indian Express, exposes years of missed inspections, inadequate sampling, and manpower shortages in the state’s drug control system. The cough syrup, Coldrif, was produced by Tamil Nadu-based Sresan Pharmaceuticals, whose owner has since been arrested.

CAG Flags Systemic Gaps in Tamil Nadu’s Drug Oversight

The CAG audit, which reviewed public health infrastructure between 2016 and 2022, revealed that Tamil Nadu’s drug inspectors conducted only around 61% of planned inspections and collected just 49% of required drug samples for quality testing between 2016 and 2021.

In 2016–17, 66,331 inspections were completed against a target of 1,00,800, showing a 34% shortfall. The gap persisted through subsequent years, reaching 40% in 2019–20. Drug sampling was equally deficient, with over half of the targets missed. For instance, in 2018–19 and 2020–21, only 46% of samples scheduled for testing were actually collected.

The report also highlighted a significant manpower crunch. Against 488 sanctioned posts in the drug control department, only 344 were filled during the audit period, creating a 32% vacancy. According to The Indian Express, these gaps reveal deep structural weaknesses in Tamil Nadu’s monitoring and enforcement systems, raising serious questions about regulatory vigilance.

Toxic Syrup and Political Repercussions

Earlier this month, Tamil Nadu’s drug authorities declared Coldrif syrup adulterated after tests revealed it contained diethylene glycol (DEG), a toxic industrial solvent used in printing ink and adhesives. Investigators found that Sresan Pharmaceuticals had added 46–48% DEG to the syrup, far exceeding the permitted limit of 0.1%. Unbilled DEG containers were also discovered at the firm’s Kancheepuram factory.

The Tamil Nadu Drugs Control Authority subsequently halted production, froze stock, and suspended the company’s licence. Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav blamed Tamil Nadu’s failure of oversight for the tragedy, calling it a “regulatory lapse” that led to children’s deaths.

In response, the Centre has directed risk-based inspections across 19 pharmaceutical units in six states to identify regulatory weaknesses and strengthen drug quality assurance. Officials quoted by The Indian Express said the Madhya Pradesh deaths might have been averted had Tamil Nadu’s regulators acted earlier on the CAG’s findings, underscoring the urgent need for reform in India’s drug safety systems.