The Mira Bhayandar Municipal Corporation (MBMC) which repeatedly makes headlines – often for the wrong reasons – has stoked yet another controversy for its belated move in buying immunity booster tablets Arsenic Album-30 in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The civic administration has recently placed orders with a Bhayandar-based agency for the provision of 2.21 lakh bottles of the homeopathic medicine at the rate of Rs. 6 per bottle.
This has been done despite the fact that both the legislators from the area, Pratap Sarnaik and Geeta Jain have been engaged in conducting mass distribution of the tablets free of cost for the past several weeks. The homeopathy medicine has been recommended by the Ministry of AYUSH as a prophylactic for COVID-19.
“We have already distributed three lakh bottles in the twin-city free of cost. Moreover, all Shiv Sena “shakhas” (party offices) have been converted into clinics where we will continue giving out the homeopathic medicine free-of-cost, till needed. I cannot understand the logic behind buying the medicine,” said Pratap Sarnaik who has urged the civic chief to cancel the order.
“Although some politicians have distributed the pills, a large number of people are still approaching us for the medicine. The mayor also wanted the supply via municipal mechanism,” said an officer.
The order which has been bagged by a politically backed agency was placed after inviting quotations. Exaggerated prices were scaled down after negotiations, sources revealed.
One bottle has around 90 to 95 tiny pills, enough to last a family a couple of months. The pill is to be taken once on an empty stomach for three days and repeated every month, for as long as the pandemic continues to lurk.
