Wholesale and retail chemists in the city would down the shutters of their establishements on May 10 to express solidarity with a nationwide bandh called by their association to protest against the policies of the Central government.
Protests would be held across the country during the token strike to pressure the Centre to reconsider their anti-trade decisions, claimed Suresh Gupta, general secretary of All-India Organisation of Chemists and Druggists, while talking to Hindustan Times.
Gupta said that he would lead a protest at Jantar Mantar in Delhi on that day, in which chemists from Delhi and NCR region would participate in the sit-in.
He alleged that the union government remained stuck with rules formed years ago, which needed review since times have changed.
Gupta claimed that the union government was encouraging entry of Foreign Direct Investment in the pharma retail trade, which would affect the interests of small chemists across the country which was not acceptable.
The chemists' leader said that since the government was allegedly planning to curtail the margins of chemists, who were already running their businesses under difficult conditions.
He demanded that persons who had experience of working at chemist's for more than five years should be considered competent enough to handle medicines. All medicines are now ready-to-use products which need no pharmacist but trained and experienced persons. Such experienced persons should be allowed to open chemist shops once they gained experience, he said.
{{/usCountry}}He demanded that persons who had experience of working at chemist's for more than five years should be considered competent enough to handle medicines. All medicines are now ready-to-use products which need no pharmacist but trained and experienced persons. Such experienced persons should be allowed to open chemist shops once they gained experience, he said.
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