Uttar Pradesh will begin testing at three new divisional food and drug laboratories in June, marking a significant step towards accelerating food and drug sample testing. The new laboratories, located in Ayodhya, Aligarh, and Saharanpur, will increase the state's annual sample testing capacity by 18,000, bringing the total to 54,000 samples annually.
Currently, the state has six Food Safety and Drug Administration (FSDA) laboratories in Lucknow, Varanasi, Jhansi, Agra, Meerut, and Gorakhpur, which collectively test about 36,000 samples each year.
Rajesh Kumar, Commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration Department, confirmed that with the addition of these new laboratories in June, the remaining nine divisional laboratories under construction are also expected to begin operations soon, with all divisional laboratories set to start testing by December.
Additionally, around 1,200 new lab technicians will be recruited for these laboratories. The Subordinate Service Selection Commission has already conducted exams for the selection of junior analysts in food and medicine, with results expected soon. A requisition has also been sent to the Public Service Commission to fill 540 vacant Food Safety Officer positions.