Sri Vijaya Puram, October 6: The Centre has launched Pashu Aushadhi Vikray Kendras to make generic veterinary medicines more affordable and accessible to livestock owners in rural, remote and island areas, with eligible centres receiving incentives for opening and maintaining the stores.
The initiative operates under the Livestock Health and Disease Control Programme and will supply generic veterinary medicines exclusively through the Pharmaceutical and Medical Devices Bureau of India (PMBI). The scheme seeks to reduce treatment costs for farmers while improving access to veterinary medicines.
Registered Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samridhi Kendras (PM-KSKs) and cooperative societies can establish the medicine outlets. Applicants must have at least 120 square feet of owned or rented premises, a registered pharmacist with a B. Pharma or D. Pharma qualification and a valid drug sale licence issued by the State Drug Control Authority.
The government will allow only one Pashu Aushadhi Vikray Kendra in each revenue block, with preference for locations having large livestock populations.
Operators will receive a 20% margin on the selling price of each medicine, excluding tax. The scheme also provides a one-time incentive of ₹1.5 lakh for centres established in aspirational districts, hilly areas, islands and the northeastern states.
In addition, operators can receive a monthly incentive of up to ₹20,000, linked to the stock maintained and sales volume. The financial provisions are intended to support the operation of the outlets while expanding access to veterinary medicines.
The scheme imposes controls on the medicines that participating outlets can sell. Only medicines supplied by PMBI can be retailed through the Kendras, and operators must process all billing through the official Point-of-Sale system. Ethno-veterinary products and certified animal feeds can also be sold.
The Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Ministry of Cooperation and PMBI will jointly implement the scheme.
Applicants must apply online through the Pashu Aushadhi portal and pay a ₹5,000 application fee. The fee will be waived for stores established in aspirational areas.
The initiative comes with a specific provision for islands, which are included among the areas eligible for the ₹1.5 lakh one-time incentive. This could make the scheme particularly relevant to locations where livestock owners have limited access to veterinary medicine outlets.
The government has prescribed eligibility and operational requirements to regulate the establishment and functioning of the Kendras, including pharmacist qualifications, licensing, space requirements and mandatory use of the official billing system.
Detailed guidelines for the Pashu Aushadhi component of the Livestock Health and Disease Control Programme have also been issued by the Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying.
