A N Mohan, the president of All India Organisation of Chemists and Druggists (AIOCD) has voluntarily resigned from the post last week. His term as the president of AIOCD had already expired in March 2008 but he continued as president since election for the new president is scheduled for September, 2008.

The national committee meeting held at Mumbai last week has designated Pratap Bhai Doshi, its senior vice president and a member from the Gujarat affiliate of AIOCD, as the acting president for the organisation till the next election, according to Organisation officials.

"In the meeting, Mohan has voluntarily informed his willingness to resign and the committee has accepted the resignation. Since he has already resigned from the position of president of our Kerala affiliation, his resignation was expected. According to our by-law, only a member in any of the state organisations can hold the charge in national committee," said J S Shinde, general secretary, AIOCD.

He informed that Doshi will be an acting president for the organisation, as AIOCD is planning to conduct the elections for the next term in the first week of September 2008. The organisation is expected to conduct the national committee election at a venue, which would be fixed as Agra, Jaipur or Surajkund. The last term of office bearers have ended in March 2008, he informed.

Mohan, who was holding charge as the president of AIOCD since the end of 2005, was forced to resign from the All Kerala Chemists and Druggists Association (AKCDA) in December 2007, following the reported seizure of several incriminating documents and unlicensed medicines amounting to several lakh of rupees from the offices and residences of the office-bearers by the state drug department officials.

The Kerala Drug Control Department has also cancelled drug distribution licenses of his distribution companies, along with actions taken against other two office bearers of AKCDA. Currently, the AKCDA is run under an ad-hoc committee.