Following the resignation of A N Mohan as general secretary of All India Chemists & Distributors Federation (AICDF), the traders’ body headquartered in Chennai with a wider foothold in North East and Maharashtra has put its West Bengal leader, Joydeep Sarkar, in the place to strengthen the activities of the Federation in the national level.

In an interview with Pharmabiz, the new secretary, Joydeep, alleged that while Mohan was the general secretary he did not conduct any programme either in state level or in national level, and also there was no contact between the traders and the industry. “He could neither do anything for the organisation, nor make any contact with the industry. His attempt to form a unit in his own state was a failure. Even the industry leaders do not know his name. A trade body leader should have contact with the industry and the members of the organisation. In both the cases Mohan was a big failure,” he said.

Joydeep said news is emerging that Mohan will be cast as presidential candidate for All India Organisation of Chemists and Druggists (AIOCD) in the next election by a section of the organisation supported by a national leader. That may be the primary factor attracted him to AIOCD again. He said J S Shinde has some kind of apprehension that he will be replaced by Mohan with the support of Suresh Gupta’s team, the present general secretary of AIOCD. Had Mohan not gone back to his former redoubt, he could not have escaped from the cases of alleged financial pilferages leveled against him by a section of chemists & druggists association in Kerala. While Mohan was the general secretary, the entire operation of AICDF became static, he added.

“AICDF is now re-consolidating its foothold in all the states except Orissa, Kerala and Andhra Pradesh after the sudden resignation of A N Mohan. My first preference as the general secretary is to establish an identity for the organisation in the national scenario. Our organisation was strong in Orissa, but some adverse things happened in the recent past, however, slowly we will pick up there. If you look at the business angle, AICDF is the leading trade body in West Bengal, but in the case of members, our opposite association is stronger,” Joydeep admitted.

According to him the Jantar Mantar march conducted by AICDF on March 15 was a huge success and it inspired the members in a big way. In reply to a query, he responded that the act of Mohan was like a betrayal of a turncoat and added that it was unethical and against all principles of a trade organisation. He joined AIOCD just to breathe in the catastrophe resulting from the alleged financial pilferages.

While admitting that strong competition in the market is always healthy, Joydeep said he is not ruling out the possibility of a tug of war between the two groups in the AIOCD for major portfolios on inclusion of Mohan and his team from Kerala. AICDF is not interested in nasty games. Under the leadership of Kailash Gupta, the organisation is progressing and developing strongly in the national level and it is always concerned about the interests of the traders, the new general secretary of AICDF told Pharmabiz.