NMDA calls off protest; shops to open

Nagaland Medicine Dealers Association (NMDA) has decided to call off their protest and open their shops on humanitarian ground. All medical dealers under NMDA on Tuesday decided to close their shops in protest against the “unlawful arrest” of its member on March 27, 2023 under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985.
NMDA joint secretary Arijit Sharma informed that the decision to call off protest was made after the association held a joint meeting with the drugs control section of health & family welfare department on Wednesday. NMDA stated that the officials have agreed to take the matter to the higher authority for deliberation and discussions. NMDA maintained that any inspection by any other agencies without the presence of the drug control section would not be accepted.
AIOCD NE flays: All India Organisation of Chemists & Druggists (AIOCD) Northeast zone took serious note of the arrest of medicine dealer in Dimapur under the NDPS Act. In a press note, AIOCD NE zone joint secretary K Sagar Meitei pointed out that all the chemists throughout the country were selling narcotics and psychotropic drugs under the Drug Act 1940 and Rules 1945. It, therefore, requested the government authority to stop the harassment of chemist members of Nagaland by settling the issue with NMDA, which was an affiliated body of AIOCD.
AIOCD warned that if harassment of chemist members continued and the issue was not settled, it would be compelled to stop selling all narcotic and psychotropic drugs throughout the Northeast, which would result in shortage of narcotic and psychotropic drugs and lead to agitation in NE states.