Rs.3 Vol. XIII No. 1 FMRAI NEWS 1 AUGUST 2013 Organ of Federation of Medical And Sales Representatives’ Associations of 60-A Charu Avenue • Kolkata-700 033 • Phone : (033)24242862 • Fax : (033)24244943 • www.fmrai.org • E-mail : [email protected] Fight MNC Penetration Remove Tax on NLEM The working committee meeting of FMRAI, held at Nagpur on 19-20 July, decided to observe countrywide Protest Day On Labour on 23 August against increasing multinational penetration in Indian market; for price control on all medicines and for Related removal of all taxes from the medicines in the National List of Essential Medicines (NLEM). Demands It is now clear that drug MNCs are coming to grab Indian pharma market replacing Indian sector by acquisition or forcing out. The MNCs are imposing conditionalities on of SPEs the Government who is in deseparation for In the tripartite preparatory meeting, FDI to meet current account deficit. called by the Union Labour Ministry on 28 The MNCs penetration with June, despite it was decided that within a Governmental policy support and actions are month's time the Industrial Tripartite also completely destabilizing Indian pharma Committee for the Sales Promotion market preparing ground for establishing Employees will be constituted; the Central monopolized patented medicines of MNCs. government has not constituted the same In the process the medical representatives' so far. FMRAI, in the meantime received job security and their unrestricted right to work the minutes of the said meeting. are also facing serious threats. During the meeting FMRAI submitted The government has prepared NLEM as 9 point demands which include effective per Supreme Court's direction, but let the Working Committee Meeting at Nagpur enforcement of SPE Act and the Rules price fixation decided by the market in under it and amendment of the Section 9 complete departure from earlier DPCO. For of the highest taxed commodities. It is one all medicines, but also demanded of the SPE Act to incorporate imprisonment NLEM, the NPPA has been deciding about commodity on which central government removal of all taxes on NLEM. It is in this as penalty and higher penalty for the price on market study and then issuing collects excise duty not on cost of background, working committee decided subsequent offences with its monitoring circular with lot of arbitrary decisions. production but on retail sale price. to undertake massive public campaign, mechanism and suspension of sales Simultaneously, the government has cut the Therefore, 8% excise duty across the independently and along with others, to promotion till compliance of law; the threat commissions for the wholesalers and board has become meaningless in the observe all India Protest Week during 16- of job security of sales promotion retailers in the name of providing relief to the light of excise duty collection on MRP. 22 August and observe Protest Day on employees due to arbitrary orders of both people. However, one is condemnable is the In addition, VAT is collected on NLEM 23 August; pursue with concern ministry Central and State Government Health / fact that government kept high taxation even items. Therefore FMRAI's working of the Central government the other Administrative authorities; notification of on essential medicines to meet government's committee not only demanded reverting demands; and followed by national sales promotion employees and fixation own fiscal deficits. Medicine has become one back to DPCO 1979 for price control on convention in November - December. See page-2 Lightning Strike in Alembic Homage Complete Paralyzation Comrade Samar Mukherjee Comrade Samar Struggle (NCCRS). He led many of Field Work Mukherjee's 100 years long struggles for the hapless submitted memoranda to the journey came to an end when uprooted people due to partition company and held gate meetings he breathed his last on 18 July on attaining country's in front of company's 2013. independence. Comrade Samar establishments at state capitals. Completely dedicated to Mukherjee was also easily Preliminary reports say that working class cause and firmly approachable to even ordinary 1740 out of total around 2000 field committed to revolutionary workers and the suffering people workers working in 14 divisions of ideology, Comrade Samar and had personal contact in the company resorted to flash Mukherjee lived a spartan life different parts of the country. strike within a short notice of five remaining bachelor, living in Party Comrade Samar Mukherjee had days. Thousands of organised field commune. He joined the national freedom personal long association with FMRAI and workers held gate meetings before movement when he was a student. He guided it since the day he addressed joined the communist party in 1940. He FMRAI's first rally in front of the Parliament Gate meeting at Kolkata company's offices / C&Fs at Patna, Ranchi, Cuttack, Guwahati, spent underground and jail life before and at Boat Club in 1973. He flagged off 'FMRAI In the midst of ongoing movement in pursuance Kolkata, Jaipur, Lucknow, Indore, after India's independence. Express' for the rally in 1997. of their trade union and collective bargaining rights; Raipur, Nagpur, Pune, , By sheer dedication and hard work FMRAI pays respectful homage to the seething anger of Alembic field workers , Vijayawada, Comrade Samar Mukherjee reached to the Comrade Samar Mukherjee and takes exploded when they heard that the management Trivandrum, Ernakulam and highest positions - Polit Bureau Member of pledge to carry forward his ideals and illegally transfered their all India convener to a distant Bangalore and at least in 165 cities CPI(M), leader of CPI(M)'s Parliamentary actions for the cause of the working class place and 85% of company's field workers resorted and towns, FMRAI's local units with group in and , and and other toiling and suffering sections and to a day's lightning strike on 26 July completely Alembic field workers met the the General Secretary of CITU. He was one vision of democratic India. paralyzing company's sales promotion activities all stockists and submitted of the founders of CITU. He played a FMRAI dips its flag in respectful over the country. Striking workers and organised field memoranda. leading role in the historic railway workers' memory of Comrade Samar Mukherjee. force jointly staged demonstrations at medicine In the meantime, on the dispute strike in 1974 as a leader of National Long live Comrade Samar markets and met local stockists and through them See page-2 Coordination Committee of Railwaymen's Mukherjee! AUGUST 2013 FMRAI NEWS

FMRAI NEWS Council Sub Committee Meetings z AUGUST 2013 z Further to the news published in FMRAI News, July, 2013, state council Resist the Growing sub-committee meetings were held in Maharashtra and Punjab - Chandigarh Multinationals Penetration subsequently. National working committee meeting of FMRAI, held at Nagpur on 19-20 MSMRA July, decided to observe countrywide Protest Day on 23 August against 140 council leaders from 33 increasing market monopolization by the multinational drug cartel to impose councils of MSMRA attended state patent regime through back door; against Central government's appeasement council subcommittee meeting at policy towards these MNCs subjugating country's sovereignty and self-reliance Mumbai on 7 July. FMRAI's joint in pharma sector; against high rise of medicine prices and against resulting general secretary Deepak threat to job security and unrestricted right to work of the sales promotion Bhattcharjee inaugurated the employees. meeting. He dealt with the history Ongoing world economic crisis beginning in late 2007 resulting market of council movement of FMRAI and narrated the challenges contraction in Europe, America and other industrially developed countries before the organization in combined with government's austerity measures particularly in healthcare reversing the restructuring sector and an estimated $230-billion patented drugs (which they call 'brands') policies of the industry. He going out of patents in US by 2015; pharma drug MNCs became desperate emphasised on council net in search of newer markets, specially in India, and are, therefore, eyeing the working and the role of the state Indian pharma market to sell their off patented drugs (which they call 'generics') council subcommittee in carrying and trying to block Indian drug companies who exports medicines to West. the decisions of all India council sub-committee up to the sub unit And Manmohan Singh led UPA II, acting at the behest of these MNCs, is MSMRA state council subcommittee meeting trying to bail out them by opening almost all sectors inviting FDI. Since April level. State council subcommittee convener Saleem Patel council and its related movements Nalawade presided over the 2000, US $10.3 billion FDI has come into the pharmaceuticals sector alone, presented the note explaining the in line with FMRAI's programmes meeting. nearly 5 per cent of the total foreign inflows the country has received through importance of the functioning of and decided to conduct sub unit acquisition route, which neither contributed in increasing production nor created sub unit council subcommittees level meetings throughout the PCMSRU additional employment (in case of Adcock Ingram, retrenched workers). Despite and company wise councils. The state on 21 July and 4 August in 21 conveners and joint these, commerce and industry minister Anand Sharma and finance minister P. note was discussed by the presence of state council core conveners of different councils Chidambaram travelled to the US in the past weeks to pitch for investments. participants divided into 7 groups committee members. FMRAI's attended the state council sub- Discussion is on and the Government is also expected to further liberalize the and their opinions were placed in joint general secretary K B committee meeting on 7 July at FDI regime in sectors such as telecom and defence. the meeting.13 conveners from Kadam and MSMRA's general PCMSRU office, Jalandhar. All secretary Dilip Deshpande The series of developments unfolded since 23rd conference of FMRAI, sub unit council subcommittees India council sub-committee also shared their experiences. The greeted the participants. convener Santanu Chaterjee held in February this year, will further vindicate the aggressiveness of these meeting adopted the road map on MSMRA's president S R helped and guided the meeting. MNCs. In a retaliatory measure, following Supreme Court's refusal of granting patent on Gleevec, Ranbaxy was penalized by USFDA of $500 million on the plea of supplying 'adulterated' drugs. The whole objective is to put trade from page-1 On Labour Related Demands of SPEs barrier so as to disallow Indian companies to export medicines in languishing of category and minimum wage spread at national level Working committee also took market of USA. Corporate media had launched all out campaign demanding of the sales promotion employees; depending upon Central decisions in accomplishing the action against Ranbaxy in particular and the drugs manufactured in India in amendment of SPE Act to include government's response. remaining task of achieving general calling them as 'substandard'. PIL on this was rightly dismissed by 8 hours work; 6 months maternity In the policy level area, both objective of one lakh Supreme Court. The powerful US drug lobby, set up FDA offices in Delhi, leave for women sales promotion the movements in pursuance membership in 2013 of which Mumbai and in some other states and wants to apply US law in India, posing employees; statutory working of medicine and labour related state units have already touched threat to country's sovereignty. rules for the sales promotion demands of the field workers 57,600 mark. On the employees; and urgent will culminate in general strike developments in Uttar Pradesh, Multinational's desperation is further evident from the fiasco in respect of enforcement of Section 2(j)ii(b) of of the field workers in the working committee anti-diabetic drug, Pioglitazone. On the basis of complaint of an agent of I D Act. November - December. concluded that the only unit in multinationals, government regulatory authorities banned the drug, without While appreciating the The working committee also Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand seeking any opinion of the experts, and later on, had to withdraw the ban in development that Central took other decisions on is UPMSRA and there is no other the face of all-round protest. Earlier, in 2011, in a similar fashion, under the Government's agreement in movement and organisational unit of FMRAI. A resolution in this pressure of powerful US drug lobby, Placentrex was banned and later on formation of industrial tripartite areas which include observing regard adopted on 30 June, 2013 had to withdraw the ban. committee, the working birth centenary of Comrade Jyoti by Central Executive Committee For creating a favourable condition for the multinationals, their henchmen committee meeting however Basu all over the country; the next of UPMSRA and has been sent and corporate media are working day and night. Today, US administration decided to remain vigilant and to GCM would be held in to All India centre of CITU. The be prepared to launch movement Chandigarh in February, 2014; all meeting also decided to forward and especially their drug lobby have established a deeper penetration in future in pursuance of above India meeting of state FMRAI the working committee influencing a section of politicians and the bureaucrats in government's mentioned 9 point demands from News in-charges to be held at conclusions in this regard to regulatory agencies. In case of Ranbaxy fine, Reuters reported on 14 May, local units to state and then to Chandigarh in September. CITU Centre. 2013 "Dinesh Thakur, former Ranbaxy director and global head of research information & portfolio management, is entitled to $48.6 million as the from page-1 whistleblower in the case, the Justice Department said. It was Thakur who Lightning Strike in Alembic uncovered the unsafe practices and violations at Ranbaxy. 'Ranbaxy's raised on the FMRAI's updated Act, 1947 and Bharavi was right imposition of mobile reporting and management was notified of these widespread problems. When they failed charter of demands, conciliation in refusing unlawful and related victimizations and to correct the problems, it left me with no choice but to alert healthcare meeting has been called on 5 unreasonable order of the normalize field work of R. K. August at Vadodara. management. Srivastava at Gorakhpur and are authorities,' Thakur said in a statement." Further, the Union ministry of health The action of the Alembic field workers have agitating in pursuance of that. In a and family welfare banned Piogiltazone based on a letter sent in January management transferring the all been agitating including resorting separate resolution, the meeting 2013 to the Drug Control General of India (DCGI) by the Chennai-based India convener, L S Bharavi, was to couple of strikes in the past. The also protested against diabetologist Dr. V. Mohan. in violation of Section 33(1)(a) of lightning strike on 26 July management's interference in But, the existing Indian law and powerful movement of field workers Industrial Disputes Act, 1947 and surpassed all previous records. trade union functioning terming under FMRAI are standing in the way which has necessitated them to do Section 61 of I.D. (Central) Rules, Earlier, the all India Alembic MP based field worker's away with laws of the land and restructuring the work of sales promotion being a protected workman as he council meeting, held on 19 May participation in FMRAI's movement employees. The newer attack on the sovereignty and self reliance on medicines is the all India convener of FMRAI adopted a resolution raising four in Svizera as 'criminal offence'. that the country has achieved and on unfettered work and profession of the in Alembic and head of the demands - immediate negotiation As decided in the all India negotiating team to negotiate the and settlement of the updated meeting, Alembic field workers sales promotion employees has a linkage. charter of demands. Further, it charter of demands; letter of are gearing up for relay strike It is in this background, national Working Committee meeting at Nagpur was unfair labour practice appointment to existing and new programmes during September decided to observe Protest Day on 23 August by way of public campaign in resorted to by Alembic recruits in Form-A, Rule 22(1) of - November followed by march all cities and towns all over the country followed by holding conventions along management in transferring him SPE Act; constitution of grievance to Mumbai in December to stage with doctors, chemists, science organisations etc. from districts to state and at during the pendency of committee for the field workers as day long dharna in front of national level at Delhi in November- December besides persuasions at ministry conciliation in violation of point per I.D. (Amendment) Act. 2010 to corporate office and to level. no. 7 of section 25(T) under Fifth discuss the grievance of the field participate all India convention of Schedule of Industrial Disputes workers including illegal Alembic field workers. 2 FMRAI NEWS AUGUST 2013 C O U N C I L N E W S Successful Strike Grievance Committee in Ind Swift Formed in Intas After long and patient persuasion, a grievance treated on duty while attending such meeting. committee for the field workers, irrespective of their Management assured to look into the issues designations and divisions working in the company regarding electronic reporting (FFR), delayed all over the country in Intas Pharmaceuticals Limited confirmation of services of field workers and was formed and signed a minute in this regard on 9 appointment letters in Form A of SPE Act to the July, at Ahmedabad where the company's head office existing and future recruits favourably. On behalf of is situated. It was mutually agreed that the name of the management Vivek Seth, Executive VP the committee would be 'Intas Field Force Welfare (marketing and sales); SP Singh, HR Executive and Committee' consisting of four members, as of now, on behalf of the Welfare Committee Sudip Banerjee will meet at least twice in a year and they would be and Shinumon JG signed the minutes. Welfare Committee Meeting in Win Medicare Dharna at Cuttack Welfare committee (grievance committee) meeting reimbursement. Field workers are to claim the In pursuance of 14 point strike Mumbai. Leaders of FMRAI, state between FMRAI's committee and Win Medicare deducted amount in fresh expense reimbursement demands which include units and Ind Swift council management was held on 15 July at the head office of format and to be submitted by 16 August, 2013. settlement of charter of demands addressed those meetings. Field the company at New Delhi. Management also informed that they would explore pending since 2008; constitution workers of Punjab, Haryana and It was mutually agreed that henceforth, the yearly the possibilities in reimbursing expenses fortnightly in of grievance committee as per Himachal reached Chandigarh standard tour programme (STP) would be prepared place of existing monthly in order to streamline the delay Industrial Disputes (Amendment) to stage dharna before the by the field workers in mutual consultation with his in reimbursement. The anomaly existed in fitment of Act, 2010; appointment letters in corporate office which was DSM/RSM and to be submitted by 15 November to basic salary of one field worker (Bareilly) was corrected. Form A, leave provisions and locked seeing the mood of the DSM who will send the approved STP back to the Management agreed to reimburse the deducted fare maintenance of other registers as striking workers. The top field worker by 15 December. Management will issue of Sopore based field worker and to be paid in his next required under the provisions of executives of the company along a circular in this regard. Despite all field workers of reimbursement whereas assured to look into the SPE Act and Rules; against with the field managers of north Oral Care division who were absorbed in the main deductions made from the expense statements of one unilateral and illegal introduction zone in the name of a meeting division and were brought under the settlement Jodhpur based field worker. of electronic reporting system in were taken in a different office of coverage, management agreed to provide benefits of On behalf of the management, S. S. Aurora (V.P.- gross violation of Section 9A of the company but could not evade the settlement dated 24 January, 2013 to remaining S&M); Ritu Sikka, associate director-HR; Sandeep I.D. Act and declaring illegal the anger of the striking workers one Patna based field worker from April, 2013. Anand, Director-S&M; sales managers- Vinod Sharma, lockout as a consequent to that who staged dharna and Further, management agreed to reimburse the Udaya Kumar K and D K Sudhir and on behalf of reporting system and on other organized gate meeting there. deducted allowances, deducted in 2009, to the field welfare committee, Kaushik Sarkar, Lindsay Melville, demands; around 400 field Repeated and patient workers on alleged ground of low call average and Hitesh Parekh, Mukesh Kumar and P C Thomas workers out of total around 500 persuasion by FMRAI yielded no shall be paid with September - October, 2013 expense signed the minutes. working in existing two divisions result and as a result, field resorted to a day's strike on 15 workers of the company had to July all over the country. The other choose agitational path. During Karnataka Antibiotics: Tapan Sen demands include against last November - December, field arbitrary deductions from salary, workers organised successful Wrote to the Union Minister expenses and non payment of zonal dharnas and staged CITU's all India general secretary and Member sales promotion employees. In addition, despite annual increment in gross demonstration before the of Parliament Tapan Sen wrote a letter on 15 July to repeated persuasion, the management did not violations of rules of natural company. Later, in the grievance Srikanta Kumar Jena, the Union minister of constitute grievance redressal forum for the sales justice; against non payment of committee meeting held on 22 chemicals and fertilizers, seeking intervention in promotion employees as per the provisions of Industrial bonus and non compliance of April, the management showed resolving issues between the sales promotion Dispute (Amendment) Act, 2010. ESIC provisions etc. their indifferent attitude in employees of a public sector drug unit, M/S. All India council meeting of KAPL fieldworkers Striking workers staged resolving the issues of the sales Karnataka Antibiotics Pharmaceutical Limited held at Bengaluru on 23 June unanimously adopted dharnas and council sub- promotion employees through (KAPL) and its management with reference to a resolution against such unfair labour practices of committee of the respective state mutual discussion and imposed FMRAI's letter to the company's managing director. the management. On the following day, led by FMRAI units organized gate meetings in the strike on the field workers of The management of KAPL resorted to various unfair secretary T. Kameshwar Rao, a delegation front of company's the company. labour practices which include illegal deductions of consisting of nine all India KAPL council committee establishments at Jaipur, Shortly, FMRAI will call all travel expenses linking with business; unilateral members reached head office to submit the Lucknow, Patna, Kolkata, India Ind Swift council meeting to transfers of leading functionaries, illegal termination, resolution which the management refused to accept. Cuttack, Guwahati, Indore and take stock of the situation and to illegal closer of marketing operations in the entire north- Later, the memorandum was sent to the company before marketing office at decide the future course. east region and deliberate delay of confirmations of by post. Svizera in Legal Knot Meeting with Assistant labour report to BSSR Union advising, if The assistant labour commissioner, Ranchi initiated Union feel, can raise dispute commissioner, Ranchi issued Khandelwal prosecution process against against discharge of services of notice to the management and Svizera management for Santan Kumar in any appropriate called a tripartite meeting on 16 violation of section 33(1)(b) and court. July directing the management to Management unfair labour practice resorted to Earlier, as per all India submit all relevant papers on or as defined in section 2(ra) of Fifth programme, Ranchi unit staged before 16 July. The management A delegation, led by FMRAI's in the month of September to Schedule of Industrial Disputes demonstration before deputy did not attend. secretary T K Rao, comprising of discuss the pending charter of Act, 1947 for not responding to labour commissioner, Ranchi on BSSR Union filed a all India Khandelwal council demands and grievances of the the show cause dated 5 April 24 June demanding enquiry by complaint petition on 2 April leaders and conveners and joint field workers. Management issued to Svizera management the government authorities about against unfair labour practice conveners from eight states met sought co-operation from the including its managing director the financial mismanagement resorted to by Svizera the management of Khandelwal union on overall situation to and others and ordered to submit and functioning of Svizera management praying to Laboratories on 22 July at which the delegation assured to written explanation within 24 Healthcare under the provision prosecute the management Mumbai. On the delayed payment reciprocate in a positive April which the management did of company law and lodged under Section 33 of I.D. Act, of salaries and expenses, manner. S K Pai Kakode, not comply with. The assistant complaint against non 1947,as management management assured timely director and Satyendra Pawar, labour commissioner also enforcement of various provision discharged Santan Kumar payments. Management also HR executive represented the submitted a copy of the failure of S.P.E.Act by the management. during pendency of conciliation. assured to call two days meeting management. 3 AUGUST 2013 FMRAI NEWS STATE NEWS ODISHA Rallies on State Massive Demonstration Related Demands before RDC Office HIMACHAL PRADESH 250 members of OSRU's Berhampur district committee along with 1500 members of CITU staged massive dharnas and demonstration in front of the office of the Revenue Divisional Commissioner (southern zone) on 24 July demanding immediate withdrawal of the RDC's arbitrary and unlawful order which debarred the medical representatives from entering into the premises of the MKCG medical college and hospital for their work. Nanda. Despite incessant Memoranda were rain and stormy weather, At Shimla OSRU Filed Writ Petition submitted to the hundreds of workers from 150 members of HPMRA, coming from Mandi, Shimla, Hamirpur, Chief Minister of Against RDC Order different organizations Dharamshala, Kangra and Solan, staged a daylong dharna in front of Odisha, health On 23 July, OSRU filed a writ petition against the namely District Nirman state labour commissioner's office at Shimla on 28 June and submitted minister and labour state of Odisha, represented through its Chief Sramik Sangh, Ganjam a memorandum containing field workers' demands before state minister through the Secretary, Odisha; the Secretary, Department of Health District Pachika Sahaika governments. CITU's Himachal Pradesh state president Jagat Ram RDC. The & Family Welfare, Odisha; the Revenue Divisional Sangh, BEFI, BWECC, and joint secretary Vijender Mehra, during their deliberations, criticized participants were Commissioner, Southern Division, Berhampur; and the BDIEA and BPWU the State government for not conceding the just demands of the field addressed by Ali Superintendent, MKCG Medical College and Hospital, participated. workers and called upon them to be prepared for higher struggle. Others Kishore Pattnaik, Berhampur, Ganjam, Odisha against the impunged Earlier, against the who greeted and addressed on this occassion include HPMRA secretariat member order No.05/Dev. dated 12 February, 2013 of the Office RDC's order and in president Hukam Sharma, vice president P K Sharma, general secretary of CPI(M) and of the Revenue Divisional Commissioner, Southern defense of their legal right Jagdish Thakur and FMRAI's working committee member N Kaushal. CITU's vice Division, Berhampur, Odisha to the the Superintendent, of unhindered work in the MADHYA PRADESH CHHATTISHGARH president Judhistir MKCG Medical College & Hospital, Berhampur, hospital, the members of Behera. Others who OSRU's Berhampur In pursuance of field workers' demands before the state Ganjam debarring entry of medical representatives addressed the into the medical college and hospital campus. district committee sat in governments including notification and enforcement of minimum dharnas include relay dharnas in front of wages, state amendment of Section 2(s) of Industrial Disputes Act, OSRU's joint general secretary B Choudhury; BDIEA's Kishore the RDC's office from 13 May to withdrawal of illegal orders of both Madhya Pradesh and Chattishgarh N Sahu; BEFI's Pratap Mishra and DYFI's Basanta 18 May. governments disallowing entry of field workers in government hospitals; 8 hours work notification before Madhya Pradesh government; and on other demands; around 500 MPMSRU members Blood Donation Camp in Keonjhar organized rallies, submitted memoranda to respective chief minister and took out processions, separately at Bhopal and Raipur, on 16 70 members participated in a July. CITU and MPMSRU leaders greeted and addressed MPMSRU blood donation camp, jointly members assembled on this occasion. organised by OSRU's Keonjhar In Bhopal, around 300 members coming from 17 units of Madhya unit and district Red Cross Blood Pradesh assembled in a public meeting at Yadgar-e-Sahajani park. bank at district headquarter The public meeting was addressed by CITU's M.P. State general hospital. 58 units of blood were donated by OSRU's Keonjhar unit members. Dr. Bikramananda Moharana, CDMO, was the chief guest and inaugurated the camp. The other guests who were present include Dr. B. K. Behera, ADMO; Girija Mishra, CITU's Keonjhar district joint secretary; district Red Cross joint secretary A. R. Khan and blood bank in- charge Dr. Asit Kumar Mahapatra. Local print media covered the news.

At Raipur BIHAR - JHARKHAND secretary Pramod Pradhan, MPMSRU's general secretary Shailendra Sharma, joint general secretary Salil Shukla and all MPMSRU units leaders of Madhya Pradesh. MPMSRU's president Subir Talukdar New Unit in Khagaria presided and vice president Anjana Dixit gave vote of thanks After the IMA Khagaria district secretary public meeting a colourfull rally was taken out from Yadgar-e-Sahajani Dr. Pinkesh Kumar, inaugurated Park to Neelam Park and submitted memorandum. Khagaria unit office on 16 July in a In Chattisgarh, around 200 field workers from all 5 units of ceremonious manner in presence of MPMSRU in Chhattisgarh attended the public meeting at Raipur. large number of unit members. Chattisgarh state general secretary Ajit Lal addressed the gathering Khagaria chemist &druggist and assured full support of CITU in pursuing state related demand of association's president Rajiv Kumar, field workers. Others who spoke on this occasion include CPIM's local CITU leaders Dange Prasad Chhattisgarh State secretary and former FMRAI's secretary M.K.Nandy, Singh and Sanjay Kumar; BSSR FMRAI's secretary Naveen Gupta and MPMSRU's secretaries Devroop Union's treasurer Kalyan Acharya, Biswas and vice president Ajoy Kumar, unit Sameer Moghe. MPMSRU's vice president N.P.Shukla presided leaders Amit Krishna Ranjan, Niraj over. Following the public meeting, a massive rally was organized Kumar, Sravan Kumar and others which passed through Budhapara, Kalibadi and Police Line. were present on this occasion. Printed by D P Dubey, published by D P Dubey on behalf of Federation of Medical and Sales Representatives’ Associations of India and printed at Satyajug Employees Co-operative Industrial Society Ltd. 13 Prafulla Sarkar Street, Kolkata-700 072 and published at 60-A, Charu Avenue Kolkata-700 033 EDITOR : D P DUBEY