Sambalpur: High Court Orders Removal of Private Medicine Stores from Burla Vimsar Premises After 30-Year Struggle

Sambalpur: For three decades, there were two private medicine stores inside Burla Vimsar. There were many complaints against them for unfairly setting medicine pricing and exploiting patients. However, the authorities did not take any action against it. It was alleged that they were protecting them instead. Following repeated complaints, the government has long ordered the removal of private medicine stores from hospital premises. However, they went to the High Court and obtained a stay on the government order.

However, on the 19th, the High Court lifted the stay order and pronounced the government’s instruction legitimate. In this series, the removal of the two private medicine stores from the Vimsar premises has been completed. Health Secretary Salini Pandit’s instruction letter number 10532, dated 25/4/2024, directs Vimsar officials to take the required actions to remove these two medicine stores from the medical premises.

The Niramay Yojana was launched in 2015 to provide free medicines in government hospitals under the state government’s welfare policy. As a result, the health department issued an order removing private shops from being renewed. In response, the shopkeepers contacted the High Court and filed a complaint against the government order. After that, the Vimsar authorities did not file a counter-affidavit or attempt to lift their stay in the last 8 years. However, after this verdict of the High Court, the patients were happy.

It is revealed that two private medicine stores were opened on the premises of Vimsar in 1992. The two shops had been doing business on the premises for 30 years, renewing them year after year without tendering as per the rules.