The All Kerala Chemists and Druggists Association (AKCDA), the trade body of pharma wholesalers and retailers in Kerala, will soon lose its registered status due to failure of filing yearly returns and replies to the notices issued from the district registrar office, said K C Madhu, district registrar, Ernakulam.

The registrar said that the notice stating that the organization’s existing registration will be removed from the Registry of the office has already been given to its head office which is not functioning for the last several years. Notice to this effect has been pasted on the door of the building. This is the final step of cancellation of registration, but endorsement from higher authorities is required.

He said the office will not accept any further filings or returns or application for condoning the delay from the organization.

When asked whether the registration still exists or cancelled, Madhu said it has not been cancelled yet, but soon it will cease to exist, and added that removal notice has been forwarded to the higher authorities. The cancellation will come into effect after official proceedings.

According to him, the association is facing vigilance case that is also a factor considered for initiating legal action. Cases of legal actions were started during the period of previous LDF government, the registrar told Pharmabiz.

Faction feud has led the organization to become non-functional for the last several years and cases related to the leadership are still pending with the court. The court also ordered not to use the name ‘AKCDA’ till the election of office-bearers is over. The process of election is reportedly going on according to the order of the court.

Meanwhile, on January 8, when the president of AIOCD, to which AKCDA is affiliated with, J S Shinde visited Kochi to attend a meeting organized in a hotel by a faction of the organization, a group of people from a political party marched towards the hotel expressing anguish over an alleged statement by the AIOCD president. It is reported that Shinde had said that AIOCD would not allow the manufacturing companies to sell their products to the Kerala government on discounted rates dissociating wholesalers. The police in the city intervened when the protesters became violent and tried to enter the hotel premises. They have also wanted the leaders of the ‘Chemists’ Fraternity’, under which name the meeting was called, to dissolve the meeting. Following the incident, Shinde fled the scene and left the state hurriedly.

When contacted the leader of the group and the former general secretary of AKCDA, Antony Tharian, he said his group will take the issue to the court for further action.