Odisha chemists, retailers join nationwide strike
Bhubaneswar, Sep 28: Thousands of medicine stores and retail businesses remained closed in Odisha as they joined a nationwide strike on Friday.
While the chemists are protesting against the Centre's decision to allow operation of e-pharmacies, the retailers are protesting against the approval to 100 per cent Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in the retail sector.
Nearly 4,000 medicine wholesale points and 22,000 retail outlets across Odisha remained shut as the Utkal Chemists and Druggists Association (UCDA) extended support to the nationwide strike called by All India Organisation of Chemists and Druggists (AIOCD).
However, the drug stores inside medical colleges and government-run hospitals remain open.
"We strongly oppose the Centre's move to bring in online pharmacies. The Association will resort to an indefinite strike if the demands are not met at the earliest," UCDA General Secretary Prashant Mohapatra said.
E-pharmacy would largely affect the livelihood of lakhs of chemists' families, besides depriving people access to good quality medicines, he added.
Sudhakar Panda, President of Odisha Chapter of Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT), said around 6.35 crore retailers across the country, including 20 lakh from Odisha, joined the strike to showcase their protests against the Centre's decision to allow FDI in the Indian market.
He said the Association demands repeal of the permission for FDI in the retail sector that will affect the livelihood of lakhs of people in the country.
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Another North Goa nightclub sealed; Kejriwal says corruption led to fire tragedy
Panaji (PTI): As part of a crackdown against tourist establishments violating laws and safety norms in the aftermath of the Arpora fire tragedy, Goa authorities on Saturday sealed a renowned club at Vagator and revoked the fire department NOC of another club.
Cafe CO2 Goa, located on a cliff overlooking the Arabian Sea at Vagator beach in North Goa, was sealed. The move came two days after Goya Club, also in Vagator, was shut down for alleged violations of rules.
Elsewhere, campaigning for local body polls, AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal said the fire incident at Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub at Arpora, which claimed 25 lives on December 6, happened because the BJP government in the state was corrupt.
An inspection of Cafe CO2 Goa by a state government-appointed team revealed that the establishment, with a seating capacity of 250, did not possess a no-objection certificate (NOC) of the Fire and Emergency Services Department. The club, which sits atop Ozrant Cliff, also did not have structural stability, the team found.
The Fire and Emergency Services on Saturday also revoked the NOC issued to Diaz Pool Club and Bar at Anjuna as the fire extinguishers installed in the establishment were found to be inadequate, said divisional fire officer Shripad Gawas.
A notice was issued to Nitin Wadhwa, the partner of the club, he said in the order.
Campaigning at Chimbel village near Panaji in support of his party's Zilla Panchayat election candidate, Aam Aadmi Party leader Kejriwal said the nightclub fire at Arpora happened because of the "corruption of the Pramod Sawant-led state government."
"Why this fire incident happened? I read in the newspapers that the nightclub had no occupancy certificate, no building licence, no excise licence, no construction licence or trade licence. The entire club was illegal but still it was going on," he said.
"How could it go on? Couldn't Pramod Sawant or anyone else see it? I was told that hafta (bribe) was being paid," the former Delhi chief minister said.
A person can not work without bribing officials in the coastal state, Kejriwal said, alleging that officers, MLAs and even ministers are accepting bribes.
