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The Tamil Nadu Pharma Traders' Association (TNPTA), the parallel trade organization floated by the expelled members of TNCDA led by Mannargudi Ramachandran and T Natarajan, is unlikely to get the recognition of the all India trade body, AIOCD, it is learnt.
The parallel trade body has been actively working in Tamil Nadu for the last several years and it has a strong foothold in 25 districts in the state. With their enthusiastic and lively work the association has gained an impression among public that it is the official and recognized association for the pharma traders. The dormant nature of the TNCDA, the affiliated body with AIOCD, also helped TNPTA to be in the limelight dealing with the problems of the retailers and wholesalers.
AIOCD president Jagannath Shinde informed Pharmabiz that the central committee will not allow any group or organization to do parallel activity or sectarianism in any state, and such parallel bodies will not be recognized by the AIOCD. Not only that, the AIOCD will deal with such sectarian activity seriously, he warned.
As regards the arguments of the TNPTA that AIOCD has recognized the parallel association led by Suresh Gupta in Uttar Pradesh, and similar trade bodies in Jammu and Kashmir and in Pondicherry, Shinde said the central committee has repudiated the sectarian activities and ignored such groups without any recognition. He said he visited these three states and called meetings of the office-bearers and sorted out all the issues. Now there are only the official groups approved by the AIOCD in limelight. Similarly, he will visit Tamil Nadu in the third week of September to discuss with the present and the former office-bearers. No approval will be given to any splinter group, he categorically said.
However, AIOCD is closely observing the progress of the TNPTA in Tamil Nadu. Rajiv Singhal, general secretary of the AIOCD has deputed one joint secretary of his affiliated group, TNCDA, to watch the activities of the break-away group in all the districts. According to sources from AIOCD, the central committee is aware that TN PTA is getting stronger in Tamil Nadu and more and more district committees are gradually inclining towards it because the traders’ issues are handled by Ramachandran and Natarajan. TNPTA's allegation is that the president and the secretary of the TNCDA, Trichy Manohar and Salem Selvan, are not interfering in the problems of the member-traders. Besides, the association is not convening any meeting of its members to discuss their problems.
Meanwhile, Ramachandran said a first round of talk was held with JS Shinde for getting approval of the central committee, and he is confident of the recognition. A second round of talk will be held in Chennai when Shinde arrives here in September. He said there are several states where more than one trade body approved by AIOCD are working.
A trader having membership with TNPTA told Pharmabiz that they were working aggressively to hold the state meeting of the association in October in Trichy, and 25 district committees have already been formed. They will officially invite JS Shinde, V Jagusthey, Rajiv Singhal and Nangia to address the members.
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