Mamata Banerjee said on Wednesday that the Trinamul Congress would launch rallies in each block and ward of Bengal on Friday and Saturday to protest against the BJP-led Centre’s decision to increase the prices of 248 medicines.
The chief minister said the TMC would also demand the withdrawal of the GST levied on medical insurance, which, according to her, was essential nowadays.
“Our party will hold rallies for one hour from 4pm to 5pm in all blocks and wards on April 4 and 5 to protest against the Centre’s decision to increase the prices of 248 essential medicines, as it would hurt the interests of the poor and middle classes. We also demand that the GST imposed on medical insurance be withdrawn immediately,” Mamata told a news conference in Nabanna, the state secretariat.
The chief minister said the National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority’s decision to mark up 148 scheduled and 80 non-scheduled drugs from April 1 frightened and angered her, as health was one of society’s basic needs, besides food, shelter, and clothes.
“Prices of basic medicines like those which are used to control cholesterol have been increased up to 115.8 per cent…. Similarly, medicines to control blood pressure have become 19.2 per cent costlier. Not only this, the prices of common medicines used by 80 per cent of the population, like antibiotics, drugs for cancer and even Paracetamol, were increased. This is unacceptable,” said the chief minister, who also holds the health portfolio.
She criticised the Narendra Modi government at the Centre for imposing GST on medical insurance, saying that would also leave a majority of the people in trouble since medical insurance was essential these days.
“I had written a letter to the Prime Minister urging him to withdraw the GST imposed on medical insurance. But nothing was done. Now, we demand that the GST on medical insurance be withdrawn. If the demand falls on the deaf ears of the Centre, the streets will show us the path,” said the chief minister.
Sources in the state secretariat said the Union government treated the health insurance as a financial service rather than a healthcare service and that was why 18 per cent GST was imposed on the health insurance.
“The chief minister had requested the Centre to consider the health insurance as a healthcare service which would have attracted a lower or nil taxation. But no response was received from the Centre,” said an official.
Trinamool insiders said the announcement of the agitation against the Union government assumed significance as it became clear that Mamata wanted her party to be ready to take the BJP head-on during next year’s Assembly polls.
“The timing of the announcement is important. At a time when the BJP is trying to bring out its supporters on the streets by holding rallies during the Ram Navami, the chief minister wanted TMC activists to be active. Moreover, she is raising issues, such as price rise of medicines, that matter, instead of how Hindu one is or not,” said a TMC leader.
Mamata tried to tie the party programme with the sentiment of the common people.
“I will ask the common people to protest against the decision in their own way.... If you don’t protest against the decision, the Centre would take the healthcare services out of the reach of common people,” said the Trinamool chairperson.
She asked why such decisions were being taken to leave the common people in trouble.
“I ask why such decisions were being taken… I would like to know why the decisions were being taken to ensure that healthcare services were made available for those who have crores of rupees…. I will ask my MPs to raise the issue in the ongoing session of the Parliament,” she added.
