LEONARD JOHN Vs. STATE OF KERALA

JUDGEMENT

(1.) Instant writ petition is filed by the petitioner aggrieved by the lethargy and inaction on the part of the officials of Oushadhi - Kerala, in not adhering to the prescribed standard in making its products and non-utilization of grants received from Ministry of AYUSH (Ayurveda, Yoga and Neuropathy, Unani, Sidha and Homeopathy) under Government of India.

(2.) Oushadi, an enterprise under the Government of Kerala, is the largest manufacture of Ayurvedic products and herbal drugs in India. It is established for the specific purpose of ensuring prescribed quality and standard in manufacturing ayurvedic medicines for effective ayurvedic treatment. The public at large in Kerala is largely depending ayurvedic treatment for curing various diseases. Oushadi is also receiving huge fund as grant from Government of India from time to time for utilising the same for the purpose of establishing centre of excellence and modernization and to ensure quality treatment and medicine.

(3.) According to the petitioner, it is recently noticed that, the ayurvedic and herbal products from Kerala manufactured by Oushadi is banned in many of the European countries and some of the Asian countries, due to the presence of pesticides, heavy metals, aflatioxine, toxicity extracts etc. A study also shows that there is alarming increase in cases of cancer, kidney and liver diseases in Kerala as 77% of the household in Kerala are using ayurvedic products for various treatment and other purposes.