Chemists observe bandh

Alleging harassment by the state police in its drive against the drug menace, the Sangrur Chemist Association, on Thursday, observed a complete bandh in the district, causing inconvenience to the patients.

Alleging harassment by the state police in its drive against the drug menace, the Sangrur Chemist Association, on Thursday, observed a complete bandh in the district, causing inconvenience to the patients.

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The Sangrur Chemists Association had given a call for a shutdown to express their anger against the state police and the "wrong policy of the state health department for allegedly raiding their shops and arresting shop owners on the pretext of selling narcotic drugs".

Most pharmacies in the city remained closed as several chemist shop owners gathered to stage a protest outside the deputy commissioner's office. They also gave a memorandum to the deputy commissioner and to the civil surgeon, Sangrur.

Associations leader Sarjeevan Jindal said: "Instead of banning the manufacturing of such drugs, the government and the state police were harassing the chemists."

He said that the wrong policies of the government were responsible for the rising drug evil in Punjab as new pharmacy colleges were being set up in the state without any check.

The chemists also warned the government that an indefinite hunger strike would be launched at Chandigarh if their demand was not met.