Imphal, March 08 2009: Owing to the increasing illegal taxes while transporting on the highways resulting in spending huge expenditure, pharmaceutical companies intimated that they were will stop supplying life saving drugs, informed the Manipur Chemists and Druggists Association today.

Speaking at a press conference held at Hotel Nirmala today, general secretary of the body Dr RK Ratankumar revealed that the carrier charge of life saving drugs in only Rs 2.50 per Kg while distributing in anywhere in the country by the companies.

But for the state of Manipur and other north eastern state, the distributing from Guhawati and while procuring it upto Imphal with at the rate of Rs 2.50 per Kg.

But while procuring the same, it spend from Rs 6.50 to Rs 7 per Kg which is must excess.

In such conditions authorities of the companies have informed the Manipur Chemists and Druggists Association that they could not bear the expenses.

Hence they would stop supplying the drugs to Manipur, the secretary informed the media.

Apart from this, due to extortion demands from various underground elements, the association is facing various difficulties in procuring and supplying the life saving drugs, he said adding that such problems are not faced in the state of Nagaland and Tripura where there is insurgency problem.

Joint secretary of the All India Organisation of Chemists and Druggists, North East, K Sagar said that all the state level chemist and druggists bodies are affiliated to the AIOCD and under the initiative of the body many health camps conducted but in the state due to the disturbances meted by various underground elements, this could not be carry out in the state.

Drivers of vehicles ferrying drugs under the AMCDA were taken into custody frequently by the underground elements for ransom apart from collecting various illegal taxes, he observed expressing that if authority fails to check such disturbance, the state would face scarcity of life saving drugs.

Vice president of the AISCD, NE Zone, also said that regarding the grievances facing in procuring the life saving drugs, the body had submitted a memorandum to the Central government for appropriate action.

But so far no action taken up, he sad blaming that the authority do not take the matter seriously.

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