OCCA threatens to move court against Odisha govt order

Odisha Sun Times Bureau
Bhubaneswar, March 8:

Odisha Campus Chemists Association (OCCA) today organized an emergency meeting in Bhubaneswar to discuss the government letter directing to stop further renewal and lease agreement of campus medicine shops and considers moving to court, should their demand go unfulfilled.

“We had been allotted these Day & Night Medical Shops on basis of unemployed scheme. If the lease agreements are not renewed, we will be nowhere. This move of government will bring 3000 family members and their employees to the street. If the government does not change it decision, then they we will go to court of law and protest on the street,” said the PRO of OCCA.

“Our members were allotted the shops during the tenure of Late Chief Minister Biju Pattnaik. Some senior officials are now conspiring by keeping the present Chief Minister in dark to snatch the bread and butter which his father gave us,” said Siba Sahani, the President of OCCA.

Most of the members of OCCA, however, reposed their full faith on the Chief Minister and expected him to provide them Justice.

It may be noted that, Odisha Government, vide letter no 4538 dated February 27, 2015 stated that no further renewal and lease agreements of campus medicine shops will take place in future and has an intention to abolish all the Campus Medicine Shops (24 Hours shop situated inside the government hospital campus).

The government intends to hand over the task to Odisha Medical Corporation, which will provide medicines to the patients in free of cost.

The corporation, in the other hand, has not yet completed any of it infrastructure till date as per OCCA sources.

The executive members claimed that there is a conspiracy to allow big businesses such as HLL, which has been continuing from last few years inside three medical college campuses via back door.

They further pointed out that HLL has not fulfilled the terms and condition against which a PIL has been filed few days back and the former principal secretary has been called by the High Court for personal appearance.

“If the corporation succeeds in fulfilling its motto to provide free medicines, then we will close down our shops automatically. But, what is the point of stopping our lease renewal even before the corporation becomes functional,” asked a member of OCCA.