Shah to chair National PACS Mega Conclave tomorrow

New Delhi, January 6

Union Cooperation Minister Amit Shah will spearhead the National PACS Mega Conclave on Monday, focusing on the integration of Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (PACS) into the Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Jan Aushadhi Kendras (PMBJKs).

The initiative seeks to leverage the extensive network of PACS to provide quality generic medicines to the public at significantly reduced prices, ranging from 50-90 per cent less than branded alternatives available in the market.

The PMBJKs currently offer over 2,000 types of generic medicines and over 300 surgical items, ensuring affordability and accessibility for common citizens. The move to include PACS in the endeavor has seen remarkable progress, with more than 4,400 PACS/cooperative societies from 34 states/UTs submitting online applications within a few months.

Out of these, over 2,300 cooperative societies have received initial approval, and 146 are poised to function as Jan Aushadhi Kendras.