Government also fixes rate of onion to be sold by private sellers at Rs 20 per kg.
In times of emergency when there is scarcity of any commodity the Government opens fixed price shops which sells onions or other commodities at a fixed price. This helps to temper the market and overall rates even in private shops and markets comes down. It does not order the wholesalers or retailers to sell onion at a fixed price. Neither can the Government think of forcing developers to sell their flats at Government fixed rates to provide affordable housing to the needy. Allowed to creep in through on one pretext, the dictatorship can soon be expected in other services as well. What is to stop the Government from ordering normal delivery to be conducted for 5000, cesarean for 10000 and cholecystectomy for 15000.
Nationalization or forcible acquisition and utilization of private assets by the Government in presumably National Interest is a story we have heard and seen in the past. It happened in dark days of Emergency but the desire to wield unbridled power is universal among all politicians irrespective of which party they belong to. With no strong opposition to contend with are we now moving towards days where an individual has no right to private enterprise. When Government has not provided any subsidy to private sector laboratories in any form whatsoever, what is the legal status of such an order to dictate rate at which services have to be sold by the private laboratory.
With Clinical Establishment Act around the corner more such diktats which dare not be ignored should be expected because currently private clinics are not under direct control of the government but after CEA their very registration and hence existence will be at stake. Also it is very much part of CEA to regulate and notify rates of medical services to be provided by private clinical establishments.
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