West Bengal animal medicine shops will be opened at state, district and block levels under a central livestock health programme, giving livestock keepers and pet owners access to medicines and vaccines at lower prices, according to a notification issued by the state Animal Resources Development Department and reported by Sangbad Pratidin – Bengal.
The department plans to establish 375 Pashu Aushadh Bikray Kendra, or animal medicine sales centres. One centre will operate at the state level, 30 will be located at district level and the remaining 344 will be opened across blocks, according to the report.
The proposed centres are being introduced under the central government’s Livestock Health and Disease Control Programme. The department’s plan is intended to extend access beyond larger government veterinary facilities and provide medicines closer to livestock keepers in block-level areas.
A department official told Sangbad Pratidin – Bengal that animal medicine sales centres would allow livestock keepers to obtain medicines at substantially lower prices and reduce the need to purchase them from private shops. The official said the block-level distribution of the centres would particularly benefit poorer livestock keepers in remote areas.
The centres are expected to stock medicines for animals and birds, including cattle, goats, ducks and chickens. The report also said that vaccines for dogs and cats would be made available at lower prices. Pet owners quoted in the report said government clinics commonly provide medicines for livestock and poultry, while medicines and vaccines for dogs and cats are often unavailable.
Rabies vaccination was cited as a particular cost concern for pet owners, who currently purchase the vaccine from private outlets at prices reported to be around Rs 250. The proposed centres could provide an additional public channel for accessing such vaccines, although the department’s notification, as described in the report, does not specify the final prices, brands or operating dates.
The report also carried allegations of irregularities in the animal-medicine market. It said some veterinary doctors allegedly prescribe branded medicines instead of generic alternatives and that commissions may be involved in sales made through private outlets. These allegations were presented in the source report and were not independently established in the material supplied for this story.
The proposed network therefore combines a public-access measure with a procurement and distribution challenge. Its impact will depend on when the centres become operational, which medicines and vaccines they stock, how prices are fixed, and whether supplies reach the block-level facilities consistently.
The state Animal Resources Development Department’s notification provides for 375 centres across the three administrative levels. Further details on the implementation schedule and operational procedures were not available in the supplied report.
