The chemist shop owners have announced to keep all the chemist shops closed in Dehradun on Friday against online businesses and stores that allegedly give heavy discounts on medicines unethically. The representatives of the Wholesale Chemist Association (WCA) and Retail Chemist Association (RCA) along with Doon Udyog Vyapar Mandal (DUYM) held a Press conference in Dehradun on Thursday. The president of RCA, Navneet Malhotra said that big online stores are unethically giving huge discounts to customers which are adversely affecting the business of local chemists. He said, “Our business is already going in loss due to the online stores and now we heard that a chemist shop has also been set up inside one of the Reliance’s stores in Dehradun. The customers are being offered heavy discounts unethically which is causing loss to local chemists.” He said that if this system continues, the local shops will be shut soon.
Malhotra said, “Our Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the chief minister Pushkar Dhami talk about the welfare of small traders but such companies are trying to eliminate small shopkeepers. The association will stage a protest against this system on Friday by keeping all the chemist shops closed.” The chemists will also protest outside the said store of the Reliance and conduct a protest rally in the city. The associations said they have formed teams to ensure that all chemist shops remain closed today and no violence occurs during the protest.
