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.
Nishad, the main accused has reportedly fled the country. Property worth Rs 36.62 crore belonging to Nishad and others were earlier attached by the ED. Gafoor, the director of Stox Global Brokers Private Limited, was arrested as Rs 39 crore which was reportedly proceeds of crime was transferred through his firm. The ED has claimed that his firm is basically a shell company.
Responding to the question of Samajwadi Party Member Rewati Raman Singh, the Minister of State, Health, Bharati Pawar said that altogether, 22 All India Institutes of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) are being set up in the country. Out of 10 proposed in the first phase, six have started functioning with all departments.
Along with this, the party has also started a digital membership campaign. This was announced on Sunday at the workers' conference in Jaipur. The AAP announced fresh beginnings for the election preparations from this conference.
Making an announcement in a video message, he said the Aam Aadmi Party government's scheme is aimed at providing good quality ration 'atta' (wheat flour) and 'daal' (pulses) to the people packed in clean gunny bags.
About 105.14 lakh farmers have been benefited with an MSP value of Rs 1,45,358.13 crore, government data showed. Apart from Punjab (1,87,28,335 MT) and Chhattisgarh (92,01,000 MT), the other top paddy procurement states included Telangana (70,22,000 MT), Uttar Pradesh (65,53,029 MT) Odisha (57,16,134), Haryana (55,30,596), Madhya Pradesh (45,82,610), and Bihar (44,90,319 MT).
The bank employees organised demonstrations, sit-in protests, processions and rallies near their workplaces in different cities and towns protesting against the privatisation of banks undertaken by the Centre.
