Bhopal, Jan 6 (IANS): The Madhya Pradesh government, criticised for imposing meagre fines on doctors involved illegal drug trial in Indore, Thursday sought to defend itself, saying that drug trials are under the central government's jurisdiction and the state government took whatever action it could.

In a release, Minister of State for Medical Education Mahendra Hardia said that the state health department took appropriate action at its level against the doctors concerned for not providing details on some issues including drug trials conducted by them after the matter came to light.

Hardia said that no deaths were generally caused by drug trials of third or fourth stage, which are conducted to assess drugs' effect in the context of Indian food habits and other situations.

This work is undertaken as per guidelines of the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), he said, adding the permission of drug trial is granted by Drug Controller General of India following which the Ethics Committee gives clearance to it.

A recent report by the economic offences wing (EOW) had found that 81 people had lost their lives after being subjected to drug trials in Madhya Pradesh. None of their kin have been given compensation.

The fact had came to light in a reply by union Health and Family Welfare Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad to a query in the Rajya Sabha.

Hardia also said that the Rs.5,000 fine on each of the 12 doctors of Indore was imposed under Nursing Home Act.