Panaji: The Goa government has invoked the Essential Services Maintenance Act (ESMA), 1988, placing a blanket ban on strikes and work stoppages in the pharmaceutical sector for the next six months, a move aimed at ensuring uninterrupted supply of medicines and related products across the state.

According to an official notification issued by the Department of Home, Government of Goa, the state has declared the “sector of manufacturing, packaging, distribution and transportation of pharmaceutical products and components” as an “essential service” under ESMA. The declaration notes that strikes “would prejudicially affect the maintenance of supplies and services necessary for the life of the community and would result in the infliction of grave hardship on the community.”

The ESMA order, d

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