Excelsior Correspondent
Srinagar, Sept 13: High Court today asked the petitioner counsel to submit the manner in which the State Government has to implement the Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Jan Aushadhi Pariyojna.
As the High Court has been informed by the petitioner counsel Mohsin Qadri that the State Government has formulated the policy in total contravention to the scheme of Centre on Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Jan Aushadhi Pariyojna, the Division Bench of Chief Justice Gita Mittal and Justice Rashid Ali Dar asked him to submit his view points as to in which manner the scheme to be implemented and kept the matter for further orders on September 18.
He has also informed the court that in view of previous court direction, a meeting has been convened by the Secretary Health and Medical Education Department in which he has also participated and discussion were held at threadbare with regard to violation of the centre’s scheme.
Court was hearing a plea seeking implementation of the Centrally sponsored Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Jan Aushadhi Pariyojna scheme in the State. Advocate Qadri during the course of hearing informed the court that the state has taken a decision and issued the guidelines this year for implementation of centrally sponsored scheme Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Jan Aushadhi Pariyojna in the state which guide lines 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.
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 petitioner 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”, reads the PIL.
It is noted that the Prime Minister’s office while taking serious note of non-implementation of the scheme and creating hurdles for its smooth functioning of the said scheme have taken a serious note and upon the issuance of the letters from the Prime Minister office to the Chief Secretary of State of Jammu and Kashmir in the recent past, almost four number of state Directors came to be put to dock and were subsequently transferred pursuant to the compliant regarding non-implementation of the scheme by those Directors.
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.
Trending Now
E-Paper
Follow our WhatsApp channel