To ensure food and drug safety and quality, the Uttar Pradesh government is setting up state-of-the-art testing labs across all 18 divisions of the state.
Construction is nearing completion in 12 locations, including Lucknow, Kanpur, Saharanpur, Ayodhya, Aligarh, and Gorakhpur, with operations set to begin by July.
Equipped with high-tech testing machinery, these facilities will greatly enhance the state’s ability to detect adulteration in food and pharmaceuticals, improving public health outcomes.
According to Rekha Singh Chauhan, Special Secretary of the Food Safety and Drug Administration Department here on Wednesday, the initiative is being implemented under the direct guidance of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.
The project has two key components: modernising existing labs in cities such as Lucknow, Agra, Meerut, Jhansi, Gorakhpur, and Varanasi, and constructing new facilities in Aligarh, Azamgarh, Prayagraj, Kanpur, Chitrakoot, Devipatan, Ayodhya, Basti, Bareilly, Mirzapur, Moradabad, and Saharanpur. Additionally, a newly constructed departmental building in Lucknow will enable advanced food and drug analysis that aligns with international standards.
To support the expanded testing infrastructure, the government has created around 1,200 new lab technician and assistant positions, with recruitment to be overseen by the Personnel Department.
This initiative will significantly boost the state’s testing capacity. Food sample testing is projected to increase from 36,000 in 2016–17 to 1,08,000 annually—a nearly 300 per cent jump. Similarly, drug sample testing capacity will surge by 450 per cent, rising from 12,000 to 54,500 annual tests.
By enabling faster, more accurate testing at the local level, the initiative is poised to crack down on adulteration and counterfeit products. Beyond protecting public health, it also marks a crucial step toward strengthening the regulatory ecosystem and supporting the state’s broader economic development goals.
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