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| Closed medicine stores in Imphal on Wednesday. Picture by Eastern Projections |
Imphal, May 16 : Medicine scarcity in Manipur eased to some extent today after the Okram Ibobi Singh government persuaded a few of the stores to remain open to prevent a crisis.
The rest, however, were closed for the second consecutive day today in protest against extortion by militants.
All the medicine stores here had pulled down their shutters indefinitely yesterday in protest against the huge monetary demands made by a faction of the Kangleipak Communist Party (KCP) from wholesale medicine dealers.
The militant group had initially demanded Rs 10 lakh from each wholesaler and then scaled it down to Rs 3 lakh each. The outfit had asked the wholesalers to down shutters until the demand was met.
The dealers staged a sit-in on May 6, demanding the withdrawal of the militant group’s demand. On May 11, they held a meeting under the banner of the Manipur Chemists and Druggists Association and decided to close their stores for an indefinite period.
To show solidarity with the wholesalers, all the medicine stores yesterday closed shop for an indefinite period. No official of the association was available for comment. Its office here has been closed for the past several days.
Health minister Pheiroikam Parijat Singh discussed the situation with health director Motilal Singh last evening to chalk out a strategy to deal with the situation. He also requested the police to strengthen security in the city, especially in the market places where medicine stores were concentrated.
“We have requested the medicine dealers to reopen at least three to four stores to continue supply and they have agreed. I have received information that at least four to five stores are open today and the supply has been resumed,” the minister told The Telegraph. He added that security had been beefed up to prevent infiltration of militants in the city.
A senior police officer confirmed that armed police had been deployed to protect the stores that remained open today.
This correspondent saw a majority of the medicine stores in the city closed while two did brisk business. People crowded the two stores, located not very far from the Regional Institute of Medical Sciences. However, the owner and the customers turned down requests for a photograph for security reasons.
Parijat Singh hoped that the medicine stores would resume business in the next few days as the government had taken all the necessary measures for security. “We are hoping that they will resume business in the next few days. But if the present situation continues, the government will use other means to ensure free supply of medicines. People should not be panicky about scarcity of medicine.”
Dry fish wholesalers also stayed shut for the third consecutive day today in protest against the monetary demands of nearly 10 militant groups.
