The Telangana government has established the Telangana Standards Authority for Food and Essential Drugs, known as TG-SAFE. The authority officially came into force on Monday, creating a single department to oversee safety and standards for both food and medicines.
Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy commented on the launch on Monday, stating that the administration prioritizes the safety, security, and well-being of citizens. He emphasized the government's commitment to establishing the rule of law and accountability.
Earlier this month, the Health Department announced that the merger is designed to create a more effective regulatory mechanism. Because both the food and drug departments share objectives related to public health and consumer safety, combining them is expected to strengthen surveillance, intelligence gathering, enforcement, and legal support.
The jurisdiction of TG-SAFE encompasses several operational wings, including drug administration, food safety, enforcement, legal and prosecution, laboratories, and administration. Authorities noted that the existing statutory powers and responsibilities of designated officers and Food Safety Officers will remain unaffected under the new unified structure.
"The consolidation of food and drug safety functions under TG-SAFE creates a streamlined regulatory environment in Telangana. For businesses operating in the food, beverage, and pharmaceutical sectors, a unified department simplifies compliance processes and brings greater clarity to regulatory oversight. Standardizing surveillance, enforcement, and legal frameworks under one umbrella helps ensure high standards of consumer safety while reducing administrative redundancies for enterprises." — Dr. Shishir Gupta, Founder & CEO, StartupLanes
