Target to increase number of Janaushadhi Kendras to 10,500 by 2025: Sadananda Gowda

Union Minister for Chemicals & Fertilizers D V Sadananda Gowda on Thursday said that the government has set a target to increase the number of Pradhanmantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Kendras (PMBJK) to 10,500 by the end of March 2025, according to release by the Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers.

The ministry said that the number of stores has increased to 6,606 as on September 15.

"With this, all the districts in the country will have Janaushadhi Kendras. This will ensure easy reach of affordable medicine to the people in every nook and corner of the country. In the month of March to June, 2020, PMBJK had faced many challenges regarding shortage of API and other raw material of pharmaceuticals, disturbance in supply of medicines to Jan Aushadhi kendras from Central and Regional Warehouses due to non-availability of vehicles for transportation, etc," read the release.

"Keeping this in view, with the expansion plan establishment of an effective IT-enabled logistics and supply-chain system for ensuring real-time distribution of medicines at all outlets to avoid stock out situation is also being chalked out," it said.

At present four warehouses of Pradhanmantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana (PMBJP) (Janaushadhi) are functional at Gurugram, Chennai, Bengaluru and Guwahati, the ministry said.

"Further, it is planned to open two more warehouses in Western and Central India. In addition, the appointment of Distributors in States/UTs is also being envisioned to strengthen the supply chain system," it said.

PMBJP, the scheme has been approved with a budget of Rs 490 crores for the period 2020-21 to 2024- 25.

Despite the COVID lockdown and testing times Janaushadhi Kendras achieved an appreciable sales turnover of Rs 146.59 crores in the first quarter of 2020-21 compared to Rs 75.48 crores achieved in the first quarter of 2019-20, the ministry said.

"In the months of July to September 2020 (Till 15th September), the stores added a sales of Rs 109.43 crores. Now the total sales up to 15th September 2020 is Rs 256.02 crores. PMBJP has drastically brought down the prices of quality medicines and making medicines available within the reach of large section of population, especially the poor," read the release.

( With inputs from ANI )