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Protest against hike in prices of essential medicines
The protesters staged a sit-in and demonstrated at Rajatalab tehsil in Kashi to press for withdrawal of hike in prices of 800 essential medicines.
VARANASI Many local people staged a sit-in and demonstrated at Rajatalab tehsil here in protest against the hike in prices of essential medicines. They demanded that price hike should be withdrawn.
The locals, including social workers from villages like Nagepur, gathered at the block headquarters in Araji Line and marched to tehsil Rajatalab whether they staged a sit-in to press for withdrawal of hike in prices of 800 essential medicines.
A memorandum addressed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi was also submitted to sub divisional magistrate Udaybhan Singh in Rajatalab.
The villagers warned that if the demand was not met soon, they would be forced to take to the streets and stage a massive demonstration in villages.
Vallabh Pandey, the convener of Health Rights Campaign, said that the National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) recently allowed over 10% price hike for 800 essential medicines, including those used for relief from pain and curing various infections, skin diseases, anaemia, diabetes, blood pressure, allergy and kidney ailments among others. The huge price hike would burn a hole in the pocket of the common man.
Social worker Nandlal Master said that the price hike should be withdrawn because it would be difficult for daily wagers and labourers to buy these medicines. The government should not allow hike in price of essential medicines at this point of time.
Vallabhacharya Pandey, Mukesh Kumar, former Tehsil Bar President Sarvjit Bharadwaj, Rambabu Patel, Ramprakash Yadav, Santosh Yadav, Chandrajit Yadav, Mahesh Pandey, Father Praveen, Satchidanand, Deendayal Singh, Suraj Pandey Ramesh, Rajesh Singh, Priyanka, Rajkumar, Shyamsundar, Madhubala, Manjita, Mainab Bano, Shiv Kumar and Rambachan participated in the protest.
On Tuesday, Social activists, including Ekta Shekhar, Ravi Shekhar, Dhananjai and Vallabhacharya organised a signature campaign against the hike in prices of essential medicines in Lanka area of Varanasi.
