Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, July 30: As the High Court has been informed that the State Government has formulated the policy in total contravention to the scheme of Centre on Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Jan Aushadhi Pariyojna (PMBJAP), the High Court directed the Health Department to convene a meeting and find out the violation of the scheme as pointed out.
Hearing the plea seeking implementation of the Centrally sponsored Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Jan Aushadhi Pariyojna scheme in the State, the Division Bench of Chief Justice Gita Mittal and Justice Rashid Ali Dar directed the Commissioner/ Secretary to Health and Medical Education Department to convene a meeting inviting the counsel appearing in the PIL advocate Mohsin Qadri and find the violation of the Centre’s scheme as has been pointed out before the court.
Advocate Qadri during the course of hearing in the matter informed the court that the State in its minutes of meeting held on March 20 has taken a decision and issued the guidelines on April 24 this year for implementation of Centrally Sponsored Scheme Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Jan Aushadhi Pariyojna in the State whose guidelines are in total disregard and in contravention of the basic scheme of Central Government of India.
He submitted before the Court that the State authorities in order to implement the scheme has to only identify and provide the space for setting up of medical shops for selling the medicines, but till date no space has been provided to the eligible persons.
It is as per the Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Jan Aushadhi Pariyojna likewise other State, the State authorities in J&K are required to establish such medical shops near hospitals and there is no other role of authorities so far as the Pariyojna is concerned.
Advocate Qadri submitted before the court that the implementation of the Pradhan Mantri Scheme, the Government of India framed a committee of experts who have evolved the mechanism for the implementation of the policy which was so implemented in all the States of country except the State of Jammu & Kashmir for the extraneous reason of the State Government and also the price list which is also a comparative analysis of the price list to be provided as the Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Jan Aushadhi Pariyojna depicting the price which is of the very subsidized and affordable for the weaker section of the society who are poor & are living in bad health conditions.
The petition filed by one Muzaffar Hussain Bhat through advocate Qadri complained that the Central policy scheme being New Pradhan Mantri Bharitya Janaushadhi Kendra (PMBJK) has not been implemented in the State.
He added that the private chemists working with the State authorities are obstructing the implementation of the said policy in the State. Court directed for filing of response by the State Government and further added that the authorities shall positively examine the grievance of the petition as well as response of the State and file their counter affidavit within four weeks.
“The scheme is made applicable & is in operation by all the States of the country especially those States having poor medical facilities and much of the population living below the poverty line except that of the State of Jammu & Kashmir for all extraneous reasons and the prevalence of medical mafia over the scheme which is not only an impeadment or blockage to the implementation of the supra mentioned scheme and remains so since 2016-17 the date of implementation of the policy throughout the country”, read the PIL.
It is prayed that respondents be directed to give wide publication and awareness of the scheme including its implementation and the process of making scheme functional.
Besides publishing, it is said, that the comparative rate list as provided under the Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Jan Aushadhi Pariyojna Kendra price list in comparison with the market price list for the public awareness and propagation of Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Jan Aushadhi Pariyojna Kendra.
It is further stated that the respondents be also directed to set up and reserve the space within the Government Hospitals at all levels in the State of Jammu and Kashmir for setting up of the Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Jan Aushadhi Pariyojna Kendra.
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