Other States - Orissa   

Clear the air on MRP

The medical shops in Orissa seem to be ruled under a different Consumer Act. They claim that customers have no bargaining power over the MRP of medicines. They add that it is the decision of their association -- Utkal Chemists’ and Druggists’ Association (UCDA) -- that MRP of medicines should be treated as fixed price for customers.

Obviously the relatives of a patient battling for life in a hospital do not have the time and mental strength to bargain the price of medicines.

It is being used by traders to exploit customers.

A consumer is after all a consumer be it of medicines, food stuff or any services. How can one differentiate medicine to state that it cannot be covered under the consumers rights? In the past the president of UCDA had also claimed that the ‘Jaago Grahak Jaago’ advertisement regarding bargaining power of customers on price of medicines was a misnomer. Before media he had claimed that price of medicines for stockiest, retailers and consumers is always fixed by the Central government and can not be bargained. It is high time the authorities to get the things cleared in the minds of customers, whether the MRP of medicines can be bargained or not.

Sudhakar Patnaik

Berhampur

The State government has once again announced its commitment to make drinking water available to people during summer season.

Assurances such as repairing defunct tubewells, supplying drinking water and making administration work to emergency situation during summer season have been made by Ministers every year. But, to what extent the promises are being kept? The question needs to be answered by people at helm of the affairs. If they are repairing thousands of tubewells every year, how do the same tubewells get defunct?

A concrete action is needed to prevent people from staying thirst without adequate drinking water. Officers or Minister who make plans on drinking water supply should be held responsible.

Bidhan Swain

Bhubaneswar

The local municipality and administration are not taking measures to curb mosquito menace in the city. The danger related to mosquitoes can be assessed from the number of deaths happening every day in the MKCG Medical College Hospital due to cerebral malaria and algid malaria.

Last year the city faced epidemic rise of Chikungunya cases. Some dengue cases have also been reported in the past. The authorities do not realise the tiny mosquitoes are dangerous than wild animals.

M. Bala Krishna

Berhampur

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