Jan Aushadhi Kendras selling generic medicines at affordable rates have helped the urban poor to save approximately Rs 26,000 crores in the last nine years, now rural poor and farmers too can avail such benefits as around 241 Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (PACS) have already been permitted to open such outlets in villages under the model bye-laws, Union Cooperative and Home Minister Amit Shah said on Monday here. He also informed that the Dept. of Pharmaceuticals has already approved more than 2,300 applications from PACS for opening Jan Aushadhi Kendras in the country under the model bye-laws..
Addressing a national mega conclave here on “PACS as Pradhan Mantri Bharatiya Jan Aushadhi Kendra”, he further said that In the last six months, 4,470 applications from PACS were received. Out of these, in-principle approval has been given to 2,373 PACS to operate as Jan Ausadhi Kendras.
Shah emphasised that the Government has streamlined Jan Aushadi Kendras to ensure the poor get medicines at lower rates and allowed PACS to expand their business activities to open Jan Aushadi Kendras due to changes brought in their Cooperative bye-laws.
He said about 40 field officers have been deputed to help PACS in running these kendras. Shah said so far PACS were only confined to agri-credit business as their byelaws permitted them to do this only. But after the formation of a separate cooperation ministry, the Government took 56 initiatives to diversify their business activities and came out with a model bye-law. The model bye-law was framed to prevent closing down of PACS, Shah pointed out.
At the event jointly organized by the Union Cooperation Ministry and National Cooperative Development Cooperation, Shah also gave away the Jan Aushadi Kendra ‘store code’ certificates to five PACS representatives from Jammu & Kashmir, Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh.
At present, there are around 63,000 functional PACS in the country. The Government has taken several steps to strengthen PACS including their computerisation, diversifying their business activities, and putting in place model byelaws. The Government has plans to open around 2 lakh PACS across the country in the next five years.
Health and Pharmaceuticals and Fertilisers Minister Mansukh Mandaviya who was also present at the event added, “With these outlets being opened in rural areas, people can now buy generic medicines at affordable rates. For instance, cancer medicines, which cost about Rs 2,250 in the open market are sold at Rs 250. Even rural girls can buy sanitary napkins at Re 1 from these kendras.”
Minister of State for Cooperation B L Verma, Cooperation and Gyanesh Kumar, Secretary, Ministry of Cooperation, Arunish Chawla, Secretary, Dept. of Pharmaceuticals, Union Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilisers and representatives of Jan Aushadhi Kendras and PACS from across the country were present at the event.
Dr Mandaviya informed that “more than 10,500 Jan Aushadhi Kendras are operating in the country, providing more than 1,965 high-quality medicines and 293 surgical and other products at 50 to 90 percent of the cost of branded medicines available in the market”. Addressing the gathering, Dr Mandaviya said, "in the first phase, 2,000 Jan Aushadhi Kendras are planned to be opened through PACS”.
He asserted that opening Jan Aushadhi Kendras through PACS would strengthen PACS as a cooperative organization besides expanding the reach of quality and affordable medicines in the country.
