Chemists talk with CM, end strike

After a marathon meeting with chief minister Prithviraj Chavan on Tuesday evening, striking chemists across the state finally called off their indefinite strike.

According to senior members of the Maharashtra State Chemists & Druggists Association (MSCDA), the decision was taken after Chavan assured them of forming a committee within a couple of days to hear their grievances and resolve their issues.

Starting from June 3, wholesalers of medicines had stopped placing purchase orders with pharmaceutical companies protesting against alleged harassment by the Food & Drug Administration (FDA). This had led to shortage of several drugs in different parts of the city. To add to the woes, from June 24 the retail chemists had restricted their working hours to eight hours a day, from 2 pm to 10 pm, causing inconvenience to people.

For the last few months, the FDA had done a crackdown on chemists’ shops, insisting that a pharmacist be present at all hours. The association was demanding that the rules be made practical keeping in mind shortage of pharmacists.

Anil Navander, secretary, MSCDA  said, “Our demand to the chief minister was that a committee should be formed to hear our grievances and find solutions. We are not opposing the law.”

Navander added, “We are of the firm opinion that pharmacists must be present at the chemists’ shops, but we want that the FDA should adopt a practical stance. Also they should stop their continuous harassment. The committee should find a permanent solution since we also don’t want to strike repeatedly.”

He added that Chavan had assured them that solutions would be offered within a month of appointment of the committee and FDA officials would be told to adopt a ‘practical approach’ in the in-between period.