Raja Syed Rather
Srinagar, Jul 24 :
The Government of India (GoI) on Friday informed Parliament that 373 Jan Aushadhi Kendras (JAKs) are currently functional in Jammu & Kashmir and three in Ladakh as part of the Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana (PMBJP), aimed at providing affordable generic medicines.
Replying to an unstarred question in the Lok Sabha, Union Minister for Chemicals and Fertilisers Jagat Prakash Nadda, as reported by the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), said a total of 20,149 Jan Aushadhi Kendras were operational across the country as on June 30, 2026. The government has set a target of opening 25,000 Kendras by March 2027.
The minister said the PMBJP currently offers 2,110 medicines and 315 surgical, medical consumables and devices, with prices around 50 to 80 per cent lower than branded medicines. He added that the scheme has significantly improved access to affordable quality medicines, including in rural and remote areas—(KNO)