2,000 Jan Aushadhi Kendras to be opened via Primary Agri Credit Societies

As the Centre aims to open 25,000 Jan Aushadhi Kendras across the country in the next two to three years, Union Chemicals and Fertilisers Minister Mansukh Mandaviya announced on Monday that 2,000 Jan Aushadhi Kendras are planned to be opened through Primary Agriculture Credit Societies in the first phase, at the national conclave on ‘PACS as Pradhan Mantri Jan Aushadhi Kendras’ on Monday.

'The department of Pharmaceuticals has already approved more than 2,300 applications from PACS for opening Jan Aushadhi Kendras in the country, of which 500 are already functional at present,' he added.

Addressing the conclave, Union Cooperation Minister Amit Shah said that the benefits of the decision to allow PACS to open Jan Aushadhi Kendras will not only be accessed by the cooperative societies but will flow down to the lowest strata of the community.

'In the last nine years, around Rs 26,000 crores of poor people’s money has been saved through the Jan Aushadhi Kendras. Generic medicines are available at 50 to 90 per cent of market prices at these Kendras, ensuring affordable healthcare,' he added.

PACS are village-level cooperative credit societies that serve as the last link in a three-tier cooperative credit structure headed by the State Cooperative Banks (SCB) at the state level.

Currently, there are around 63,000 functional PACS across the country. The government’s step to open Jan Aushadhi Kendras in PACS comes after several other steps to strengthen them, including their computerisation, diversifying their business activities, and putting model bye-laws in place.

Speaking on the importance of the scheme, Mandaviya said that opening Jan Aushadhi Kendras through PACS would strengthen PACS as a cooperative organisation besides expanding the reach of quality and affordable medicines in the country.

According to official communication, the initiative will provide new opportunities to PACS for diversification and expansion of their operations, leading to an increase in rural job opportunities.