Only Jan Aushadhi Kendras operating within govt hospital premises suspended: Min. Dinesh Gundu Rao
Bengaluru, May 21 (PTI): Karnataka Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao on Wednesday clarified that only the Jan Aushadhi Kendras functioning within the premises of the government hospitals have been suspended and those operating outside will continue.
He acknowledged that Jan Aushadhi Kendras provides medicines at a subsidised price, but the Karnataka government provides free medicine.
"So what's the need for Jan Aushadhi within the government hospital premises," the minister said and suggested Union Minister Shobha Karandlaje verify facts before spreading false information.
"Misinformation is more harmful than any other disease," he said, tagging the BJP MP in his post on 'X'.
Rao's clarification came a day after Karandlaje shared a post of a government order regarding the closure of Jan Aushadi Kendras on the premises of government hospitals. She claimed that: "This decision isn't just anti-poor, it's anti-healthcare and anti-livelihood."
According to officials, Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Kendra scheme ensures quality generic medicines available at affordable prices to all citizens. Under the scheme, dedicated outlets known as Janaushadhi Kendras are opened to provide generic medicines at affordable prices.
"Only the Jan Aushadhi Kendras functioning within the premises of the government hospitals is suspended. Jan Aushadhi Kendras operating outside the government hospital premises will continue to operate," Rao said, responding to her post.
According to Rao, government doctors are not allowed to recommend patients to purchase any prescribed drugs from outside sources.
Hospitals have also been instructed to negotiate special pricing with the Bureau of Pharma PSUs of India (BPPI) or procure generic medicines directly from BPPI to distribute it free of cost to patients, he said.
Earlier the health minister had said that the culture of doctors in government hospitals writing prescriptions for patients to purchase medicines from private medical shops should be abandoned and that patients should be provided with adequate medicines free of cost in government hospitals.
"In this context, 31 proposals submitted to open Jan Aushadhi Kendras on the premises of government hospitals have been rejected. It has been suggested that KSMSCL (Karnataka State Medical Supplies Corporation) and BPPI should formulate special rates for the purchase of generic medicines, and alternatively, hospitals can purchase medicines from BPPI and distribute them to patients free of cost.
"I appeal to the public to get medicines free of cost at the medicine centres in government hospitals themselves," he had said.
Mr @TVMohandasPai before fully understanding the subject don’t come to conclusions. If there’s any Govt that thinks most about the poor it is Shri @siddaramaiah’s govt.
— Dinesh Gundu Rao/ದಿನೇಶ್ ಗುಂಡೂರಾವ್ (@dineshgrao) May 21, 2025
We don’t need prodding, least of all from you.
There are 1400 Jan Aushada Kendra’s in Karnataka and only… https://t.co/vDnL1ZVRdg
I suggest that @ShobhaBJP verify the facts before spreading false information. Misinformation is more harmful than any other disease.
— Dinesh Gundu Rao/ದಿನೇಶ್ ಗುಂಡೂರಾವ್ (@dineshgrao) May 21, 2025
Its true that Jan Aushadi provides medicines at a subsidised price, but the Karnataka government provides free medicine. So whats the need for Jan… https://t.co/b1KBJ5OWOD pic.twitter.com/8bGucJ2H63
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Centre spent Rs 76.13 lakh on print media ads for RSS centenary, reveals RTI
New Delhi: The Union Ministry of Culture allegedly spent Rs 76.13 lakh on print advertisements marking the 100-year celebrations of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), according to a Right to Information (RTI) reply.
The information was sought by RTI activist Ajay Basudev Bose, who filed an application seeking details on expenditure incurred by the ministry for advertisements commemorating the RSS centenary.
Bose shared a picture of the reply from the ministry on his official ‘X’ handle.
“It is informed that an amount of Rs 76,13,129 has been spent on advertisement given in various print media by the Ministry of Culture on the occasion of the completion of 100 years of RSS,” the government’s reply stated.
RTI reply shows Min of Culture Govt of India spent a Whopping Rs 76L,13K,129 on Advertisement in Print Media on occasion of 100 yrs of #RSS
— AJAY Basudev Bose (@AjayBos93388306) April 16, 2026
When Everyone knows RSS is Not Registered & Does not Pay any Tax is it justified to spend Tax Payers Money on such Private event??@RSSorg… pic.twitter.com/dW4IUtdNCg
Bose questioned the expenditure in the post X, “when Everyone knows RSS is Not Registered & Does not Pay any Tax is it justified to spend Tax Payers Money on such Private event??”
Reacting to the development, Karnataka’s IT-BT and Panchayat Raj Minister Priyank Kharge also criticised the spending.
In a post on X, he asked why public money was being used for what he described as a “private ideological project.”
"Modi Sarkar spent Rs 76,13,129 of public money on newspaper advertisements to celebrate 100 years of the RSS. Why is Government spending taxpayers money on an unregistered, non-tax-paying organisation to celebrate their centenary?," he added.
Why is public money being used to serve a private ideological project?
— Priyank Kharge / ಪ್ರಿಯಾಂಕ್ ಖರ್ಗೆ (@PriyankKharge) April 16, 2026
Modi Sarkar spent ₹76,13,129 of public money on newspaper advertisements to celebrate 100 years of the RSS.
Why is Government spending taxpayers money on an unregistered, non-tax-paying organisation to… pic.twitter.com/EoZ6Pim3IM
According to reports, the RSS describes itself as a volunteer-based organisation and has stated that it functions as a body of individuals rather than a registered entity.
Founded by Keshav Baliram Hedgewar in 1925, the organisation is marking its centenary year beginning from Vijaydashami in 2025, with the milestone observed on October 2.
