Only 175 Janaushadhi Kendras opened in Telangana, Centre tells Lok Sabha

The target is to open 10,500 PMBJKs in the country by March 2025

Hyderabad: The union government launched the Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Kendras (PMBJKs) with the objective of making quality generic medicines available at affordable prices to all citizens.

Under this initiative, till November 30 this year, 8916 PMBJKs were set up across the country. The target is to open 10,500 PMBJKs in the country by March 2025.

Interestingly, while only 175 PMBJKs were opened in Telangana, 513 were set up in Gujarat, 1,010 in Karnataka, 1,259 in Uttar Pradesh, 269 in Madhya Pradesh and 634 in Maharashtra.

These details were shared in the Lok Sabha by union Minister of State for Chemicals and Fertilizers Bhagwanth Khuba. Replying to a question by TRS MPs Kavitha Malothu, G Ranjith Reddy and Venkatesh Netha, he said there was no State specific target for opening of PMBJKs.

Pharmaceutical & Medical Devices Bureau of India (PMBI) is the implementing agency of the scheme. It is striving set up more Kendras, besides enlarging the product basket for meeting the citizens’ needs.

In response to the TRS MPs question that the existing PMBJKs were insufficient, he said online applications were recently invited by PMBI from more than 3,500 blocks of 404 districts to further widen the network.

Further, the Department of Pharmaceuticals/ PMBI periodically requests State Governments to provide rent free space in Community Health Centre (CHC) or Primary Health Centre (PHC) or Government Hospitals for opening PMBJKs.

The incentive provided to Kendra owners under the scheme has been enhanced from Rs.2.5 lakh to up to Rs.5 lakh to be allocated covering 15 per cent of monthly purchases made, with a ceiling of Rs. 15,000 per month.

Presently, there was no proposal under consideration for extending the one-time additional incentive to OBC entrepreneurs, he said.

State wise PMBJKs opened as on November 30

Telangana 175
Gujarat 513
Karnataka 1010
Uttar Pradesh 1259
Madhya Pradesh 269
Maharashtra 634