Medininagar (Palamu): The Palamu Chemists & Druggists Federation met local MLA Alok Chaurasia at his Shahpur residence in Medininagar. Federation officials brought to the MLA’s attention the one-sided actions being taken against the drug business in the district. They alleged that for the past year, the drug administration has been “exploiting” retail and wholesale drug businesses by instilling fear with new laws. Drug traders are constantly being intimidated and threatened with correspondence, clarifications, notices, suspensions, and dismissals, creating an atmosphere of fear among them.
Action Against Large Establishments Creates Crisis in Drug Availability
The Federation stated that recently, over a dozen old and reputable wholesale and retail businesses received notices ordering their suspension for one to two months. Disturbingly, these letters also contained “threats of police action, attacking business freedom,” an unprecedented move. Prominent drug establishments in Medininagar such as Amit Medical Agency, Aanvika Distributor, Siddharth Medical Agency, Shri Bhawani Pharma, Sumitra Medical Agency, and Shahpur’s Adarsh Medical Agency and Bulbul Medical Agency have been suspended for 60 days.The Federation expressed concern that the closure of such large establishments has created a crisis in the availability of life-saving vaccines and other crucial medicines in a district like Palamu. Many drug agencies stock medicines that are supplied throughout the entire district only by those specific establishments. This chaotic situation with disrupted drug supply will hinder proper medical treatment for the public.
MLA Assures Action, Federation Warns of Agitation
Federation officials urged the MLA to take action at his level to ensure drug availability in Palamu district, considering the public interest. They requested the MLA to relieve drug traders from the atmosphere of fear created by the drug administration’s actions.MLA Alok Chaurasia assured them that he would discuss the matter with the concerned drug administration, the District Commissioner, and the State Secretary. He warned that “if the drug administration is taking wrong action against drug traders, those drug administration officials will face consequences.”Following this, Federation officials chanted slogans against the drug administration. The program was presided over by Ramesh Shukla and conducted by Federation Secretary Amitabh Mishra.
Hundreds of wholesale and retail drug traders from the city participated in the agitation, including prominent names like Mrityunjay Sharma, Satish Tiwari, Honey, Jitendra Kumar, Sanjay Agarwal, Kanchan Agarwal, Vikram, Manoj Kumar Sinha, Amit Kumar, Purushottam Agarwal, Prince Sabri, Rajhans Agarwal, Ramakant Pandey, Rakesh, Ravi Kumar, Pawan Kumar, and Nagendra Kumar Paswan, among many others.
