Punjab Assembly passes resolution against 'exorbitantly-priced medicines'
Darpan News Desk IANS, 09 Mar, 2023 04:07 PM
Chandigarh, March 9 (IANS) The Punjab Assembly on Thursday unanimously passed a non-official resolution to take up the matter of fleecing common people by exorbitantly priced medicines with the Central government.
The resolution was moved by MLA Charanjit Singh during the ongoing budget session of the Assembly here.
After the reply by Health and Family Welfare Minister Balbir Singh, all members present in the House passed the non-official resolution to recommend this matter to the Central government.
During his reply, Balbir Singh appreciated the resolution moved by Charanjit Singh and said the issue was already in his mind.
He said even he had recently brought this matter into the notice of Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya, who visited Patiala a few days back.
He said cancer drugs have already been regulated by the government, but non-scheduled drugs and e-pharmacies are yet to be regulated.
He said till these drugs get regulated the easiest way to provide affordable medicines to the common people is by opening maximum 'Jan Aushadhi Kendras' in the state.
He said there are 25 Jan Aushadhi Kendras in the state and 16 more have been approved, which will be opened soon. He also urged all MLAs to maximum exhort people to open these centres in their constituencies, which will not only provide affordable medicines to the common people, but will also help generating employment.
"Health is fundamental right of every person and it is the duty of the state and the Central government to provide world-class quality healthcare managed and funded by the government," said Balbir Singh, while adding Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann-led government is committed to provide the holistic healthcare facilities in the state.
Ranu's family, a resident of Bhatinda town, claimed that they had handed him over to the police. Meanwhile, a Red Corner Notice (RCN) has been issued against Canada-based gangster Satinderjeet Singh alias Goldy Brar wanted in the killing of Moosewala.
Jasdeep Singh aka hagwanpuria is infamous for his criminal activities mostly in the Majha area of Punjab. Jaggu and his gang were the main accused in the killing of the son of a Sarpanch in Dhianpur village on Diwali night.
The identity of the two accused shooters -- Santosh Yadav and Nav Nath Suryawanshi -- was revealed during the interrogation of their close aide, Sidhesh Hiraman Kamle a.k.a. Mahakaal, who was arrested from Pune during a joint operation by the Delhi Police and the Maharashtra Police.
The Mumbai Police had also suspected the possible involvement of the Bishnoi gang, and as a precaution, beefed up security at the Khans' residence in Galaxy Apartments, Bandra West, since last Sunday.
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) said it received an email from Punjab Police with an attached letter of May 19 about Brar only on May 30, a day after Moosewala was shot dead.
Murder of Punjabi singer Shubhdeep Singh, popularly known as Sidhu Moosewala, allegedly on behalf of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang, took place on May 29, 2022. Goldy Brar is a prime accused in the case. He has been accused of hiring gangsters to eliminate Moosewala.
