Delhi’s first Jan Aushadhi Kendra is set to shut after the demolition of Shastri Bhawan, with the government-operated store still waiting for alternative premises despite repeated requests for relocation.
The one-room outlet in the government building serves employees of ministries housed there as well as workers from nearby construction sites. Its shelves stock commonly used medicines, including cough syrups, paracetamol and drugs for diabetes, cholesterol, hypertension and allergies.
The store opened in 2009 and was inaugurated by then Union Minister of Chemicals and Fertilisers Ram Vilas Paswan. It is among the earliest Jan Aushadhi Kendras in the country and was the first such outlet in Delhi.
Under the Central Vista redevelopment plan, ministries and departments operating from Shastri Bhawan were asked to vacate the building by September. Those departments have since moved out, but the store has not been allotted another location.
“While the ministries and departments have already moved out from the building, we are yet to be allocated space for the store,” the Jan Aushadhi Kendra in-charge told The Indian Express. The in-charge said the outlet is entirely government-operated, unlike most Jan Aushadhi stores that are run by private players.
The store’s premises and related costs, including electricity, are borne by the Department of Pharmaceuticals under the Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilisers. Its employees are from Kendriya Bhandar. The outlet has so far paid a nominal rent of Re 1.
The store employees first requested alternative accommodation from the Department of Pharmaceuticals in January. Reminders were sent in March and July, but no response had been received three months after the latest letter, according to the in-charge.
The Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilisers has requested the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs to allot suitable space so that services are not disrupted, sources said. MoHUA sources told The Indian Express that the allotment process is ongoing.
There is currently no other Jan Aushadhi Kendra in the immediate vicinity. The nearest outlet is in Gole Market, near Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital, according to the report. The relocation issue therefore affects not only the continuity of a government-run outlet but also access for people who currently depend on its location near workplaces and construction activity.
The Jan Aushadhi scheme had only 80 stores across India until 2014. It was modified and rebranded in 2015 and 2016, after which private players were allowed to operate outlets while medicines continued to be procured by the government. Under the modified arrangement, store owners are generally responsible for finding suitable premises.
The Shastri Bhawan outlet operates under a different model because it is government-run and its accommodation is supported by the Department of Pharmaceuticals. The case has consequently become a question of whether a public service can be physically displaced by redevelopment without an approved replacement site.
There are now more than 19,000 Jan Aushadhi stores across the country, with at least one in every district. Medicines sold through the network are reported to be 50% to 80% cheaper than branded medicines available in the open market. The Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs’ ongoing process will determine whether the Shastri Bhawan outlet receives alternative premises before the building’s demolition disrupts its operations.
