Central Government has devised a scheme for giving monetary rewards to the whistleblowers who can take risk of providing the information about the perpetrators of such crime. Such scheme is already operational in other enforcement departments of Government which pays good dividend also in terms of voluminous catches / seizures. The Reward scheme provides for giving handsome rewards to the informers who provide specific information to the designated authorities leading to the seizures of spurious, adulterated, misbranded and not of standard quality drugs, cosmetics and medical devices. This reward scheme will be applicable to both the informers as well as the officers of the CDSCO. In the fight against the menace of spurious or fake drugs, cost of such social participation will be minimal given the proportion of damage inflicted by the perpetrators of the crime on the health of the society and the economic progress of the country.
The salient features of the aforesaid reward scheme are as follows:-
(i) The reward scheme shall be applicable for whistleblowers in the area of drugs, cosmetics and medical devices.
(ii) Reward is to be given to the whistleblowers i.e. the informers / officials only when there is a confirmation of the seizure of spurious, adulterated and misbranded drugs, cosmetics and medical devices by the designated officers of the CDSCO.
(iii) The reward of maximum of upto 20% of the total cost of consignments seized will be payable to the informer / officials which should not in any case exceed Rs 25 Lakh in each case.
(iv) In respect of an officer of the Government / CDSCO, the reward should not in any case exceed Rs 5 Lakh for one case and a maximum of Rs 30 Lakh in his / her entire service.
(v) With a view to ensure that the informers are not made to wait till the final disposal of the matter, 25% of the amount will be given at the time of filing of the charge sheet in the court of Law.
(vi) Further, with a view to ensure that the informers do not turn hostile during the trial of the case and continue to assist the court in deciding the matter in favour of the Government, 25% of the amount will be given to them at the time of disposal of the case in favour of the Government in the first court of law.
(vii) The remaining 50% amount will be paid only when the case has been finally disposed of in favour of the Government and no appeal with respect to the matter is pending in any other Court of Law in the country.
