Medicine traders ask for special tariff for ACs

Berhampur (Orissa), Feb 20 (PTI) Wholesale medicinetraders in Orissa''s Ganjam and Gajapati districts today urgedthe state government for a special tariff package forinstallation of air conditioners in medicine shops and godownsto keep the the drugs in cool conditions.

"In order to keep the medicines in cool conditions. asprescribed by the manufactures, we have to fix airconditioners in the shops as well as in the godowns. But thatwould be an extra burden on us and we have to pay more tariffstowards electricity", said P K Jena of Ganjam PharmaWholesalers'' Association here.

"We want the state government to take some measuresand formulate a special electricity tariff for medicine shopsand godowns," he said.

The medicine traders raised the issue in theirannual meeting which was inaugurated by the state''s revenueminister S N Patra.

Patra, however, asked the association to move OrissaElectricity Regulatory Commission (OERC) with the proposal,which could fix the traffic after considering all aspects.

"We have no authority to fix the tariff," the ministersaid.