The Alipurduar branch of the Bengal Chemist and Druggist Association on Friday threatened to close all pharmacies during the night if police fail to arrange for armed guards in front of the shops that have decided to provide 24-hour service to the people of the town.

The Alipurduar district hospital authority and the Alipurduar branch of the Association, in a joint meeting held here on Tuesday last, decided to keep one pharmacy open during the night on a rotation basis.

It was also decided in the meeting that an armed guard would be deputed at the pharmacy that opens in the night. However, no such guard has been arranged for by the police yet, the BCDA (Bengal Chemist and Drugist Association) alleged.

“We started opening one pharmacy in the town at night on a rotation basis from Wednesday after the decision taken in the joint meeting. We have also prepared a list of the pharmacies which will provide the 24- hour service during the next one month. However, no armed guard has been arranged for yet. We will not open any shop at night without the guard,” said the Secretary of the Alipurduar Branch of the Association, Pranab Roy.

“It was decided that the administration will provide us an armed guard but they failed. Miscreants and drug addicts often visit us and engage in arguments at night, as they demand drugs. Without proper security, it is not possible for us to keep a single shop open at night,” Mr Roy added.

Every night, one fair price medicine shop at the Alipurduar district hospital campus is open. However, families of patients have complained that these shops do not have the stock of required medicines.

Following a demand by a large group of individuals, including some political parties in the town, the district hospital and the BCDA together decided to keep at least one medicine shop open at night.

“We had a talk with the district police. They have assured us to arrange for an armed guard in front of the medicine shop from on Friday,” said the Chairman of the Alipurduar District Hospital’s Rogi Kalyan Samittee, Sourav Chakraborty.

“All the 139 life-saving medicines will be available in the shops which will be open rotationally,” he added.