The Private Members Bills and Resolutions Committee of the Kerala State Legislative Assembly has recommended to the government to cancel the registration of All Kerala Chemists and Druggists Association (AKCDA) for monopolising the drug market in the state that has resulted in soaring of prices of medicines.

The committee, headed by T N Prathapan MLA, has also recommended to the state government to initiate measures to purchase medicines directly from the drug companies on the same lines of Tamil Nadu Medical Supplies Corporation.

Stating that the drug mafia is ruling the roost in the drug market in the state, the committee has recommended to the government to bring a Bill to put an end to the monopoly of drug association in the state who has of late started threatening the government that medicine supply in the state will come to end if medicines are not sourced through the association.

The committee under T N Prathapan was constituted to study a resolution presented by Benny Behannan, on behalf of Ramesh Chennithala, in the state Assembly some time ago. The resolution says that AKCDA is an organization registered under Charitable Societies Registration Act, but it is not serving the charitable purpose. According to them, a charitable organization’s purpose is not to make profit out of business, but only to do charitable activities. “AKCDA is doing business by selling medicines and making huge profit. So the government wants to control and direct the organization to the right path,” an officer belongs to the Committee told this reporter.

When contacted, Antony Tharian, former general secretary of AKCDA, said that the government’s move will collapse the total medicinal supply and healthcare system in the state. The government cannot take into control the entire drug business as they did in the case of liquor. They are viewing both the businesses in the same angle, he said.

Further, the resolution focuses on areas to revamp the activities of the Kerala State Medical Services Corporation so as to enable it to supply all the drugs required in the government hospitals and medical colleges through out the state. As a project of the government, it plans to establish a Medicity near Techno Park in Thiruvananthapuram, where government will set up high tech manufacturing units in another two years. According to T N Prathapan MLA, the stockists and the wholesalers are responsible for the price rise.

The resolution also suggests establishment of more number of Karunya and Neethi Medical stores in rural areas. In February, the state Medicinal Supply Corporation started one Karunya Pharmacy on the lines of Jeevandhara Pharmacy in Andhra Pradesh to sell all prescription drugs on discounted rates. There are two Karunya Pharmacies in the state at present.