Concerned over possible malpractices in the upcoming state pharmacy council (SPC) election in West Bengal, the United Pharmacists Forum (UPF), an alliance of four leading pharmacist associations, has urged the government-appointed election observer to take strict measures to conduct a free and fair election in a transparent manner.
In a letter of proposals sent to Khalid Quiser, the observer, the leaders of the associations in the panel said they are a little bit apprehensive of serious malpractices which are likely to happen in the election, so the observer should try to ensure the integrity and transparency of the election process as per Section 19 (a) of the Pharmacy Act 1948. The panel wanted the observer that the whole process of the election must be conducted in a manner that will help to uphold the highest standards of fairness and transparency as directed by the High Court.
The panel has wanted the observer that steps should be initiated to protect the ballots and the ballot boxes, and a timeline should be fixed for the submission of the ballots. According to the UPF panel, presence of polling agents at the side of ballot boxes during submission of ballots will help avoid malpractices. So, the observer along with the returning officer should allow polling agents of the candidates to be present at the side of the ballot boxes during submission hours. At the end of each polling day, the ballot box must be sealed in the presence of the returning officer and the polling agents. The sealed ballot boxes should be handed over to the local police and kept at a designated police station under 24-hour CCTV surveillance. They must remain sealed till the designated counting date. Further, for ensuring transparency, separate ballot boxes should be utilized each day, and no box should be taken for the next day’s submission until the official counting process begins. A complete list of eligible voters, including their contact numbers, should be published and made accessible for all. Similarly, a separate list of ineligible voters, along with detailed reasons for their disqualification, should also be issued to maintain accountability. Further, the association wants the observer that the total number of original and duplicate ballots printed should accurately be informed to the candidates or their authorized representative. If ballots are dispatched via India Post, the Returning Officer should publicly release the tracking details of each ballot for verification. Daily updates should be provided on the number of ballots delivered, in transit, and returned, specifying reasons for undelivered or returned ballots. The entire process of ballot despatch and the receipt of sealed ballots must be conducted in the presence of the candidates or their authorized representative and recorded in the register. The pharmacist associations of the UPF panel have started working to mobilize support for their candidates. The four major pharmacist associations in West Bengal, the Pharmacists Association of West Bengal (PAWB), the West Bengal Progressive Pharmacists Welfare Association (WBPPWA), the Progressive Chemist and Druggist Association (PCDA), and the Young Pharmacists Forum (YPF) have come together under a common platform to contest the council election, which is schedule in the months of December 2024 and January 2025. Pharmacist Moinuddin Molla, a leader of an association in the panel, told Pharmabiz that the UPF panel is really apprehensive of the opposite panel because they are allegedly supported by the present executive committee of the SPC. In 2022 when the process for election was started, 25 nominations were suspended citing various reasons. Finally, the candidates had to approach the high court for justice. Now, the process of election has started on the direction of the court which wanted the returning officer to consider the 25 suspended nominations also in the election and proceed accordingly. Molla said the UPF panel has now given one letter to the election observer to be vigilant till the end of the election process because the panel suspects chances of malpractices from many sources. Prof. Sanmoy Karmakar, a senior pharmacy professor at the Jadavpur University, Nita Mandal, a pharmacist working in the private sector, Surajit Barik, a student pharmacist, Rusha Poddar, a community pharmacist and owner of a medical store, Abhoy Kumar Maity, a retired pharmacist from a government hospital and Munshi Nure Jaman, an entrepreneur in the pharmaceutical business are the candidates of the UPF. The panel has released its election manifesto assuring 18 guarantees to the registered pharmacist community in the state.
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