Govt mulls on Medicine Banks for BPL families

New Delhi, Oct 17: The government is planning to launch medicine banks in all the districts of the country where people below poverty line could get medicines free of cost.

Chemical and Fertilizers Minister Ram Vilas Paswan said his ministry has mooted a proposal to set up such banks in 600 districts of the country. The proposal would soon be brought before the cabinet for approval, he said and clarified that there was no opposition to the move which would go a long way in mitigating sufferings of poor people. The Drug manufacturing companies have agreed to give half percent of their turnover for these medicine banks, he informed.

He said that the government has also asked the drug manufacturers to reduce the prices of generic drugs and given them one month from October 2 to implement the decision. He said prices of certain generic drugs have come down drastically after this.

Regarding the sealing operation going on in Delhi following the Supreme Court order, he said that the government could-not interfere in the jurisdiction of judiciary. However, efforts should be made to provide relief to the affected people within the law.

About the bypoll in Bihar and Jharkhand, Mr Paswan said that in Nalanda Constituency, the Lok Janshakti party would support the CPI candidate while in Bhagalpur his party would support CPI(M) candidate. As far as Koderma parliamentary constitutency in Jharkhand is concerned, the LJP would support the Congress candidate, he added.

UNI