Garhwal Post Bureau
Dehradun, 18 Feb: In a major action against alleged irregularities at the Community Health Centre (CHC) Raipur, here, Dehradun District administration has cancelled the licences of both the Pradhan Mantri Jan Aushadhi Kendra and a neighbouring private medical store found to be operated by the same person namely Balveer Singh Rawat.
It may be recalled that this matter had been brought to the knowledge of the district administration during a public hearing held on 4 December 2025 under the chairmanship of District Magistrate Savin Bansal. During the public hearing, a complaint was submitted regarding the functioning of the Jan Aushadhi Kendra located within the CHC premises. The complaint had alleged non-availability of medicines at the centre and pointed out that the same operator was also running a private medical store in close proximity, and that he was compelling the patients to purchase costly medicines from there.
Acting on the complaint, the District Magistrate had directed a joint inquiry by Joint Magistrate Rahul Kumar and the Senior Drug Inspector. During the inspection, several irregularities were detected. It was found that Balveer Singh Rawat was operating the Jan Aushadhi Kendra within the CHC campus while simultaneously running a private medical store, M/s Rawat Medicos, at a distance of approximately 25 metres, giving rise to a clear conflict of interest.
The inquiry revealed that the official PMBI software, meant to ensure availability and transparent supply of medicines at the Jan Aushadhi Kendra, had also not been used for several years by the operator. Billing was being carried out manually, and the demand and supply process for procuring the medicines was not being conducted through the prescribed online portal but informally via WhatsApp. Due to the failure to take appropriate steps to ensure the availability of affordable medicines at the Jan Aushadhi outlet, patients were allegedly forced to purchase medicines from the adjacent private store at higher prices, indicating possible private gain.
The stock registers and inventory management at the Jan Aushadhi Kendra were also found to be poorly maintained. Irregularities were also noted in the documents submitted at the time of licence issuance and renewal. These included the use of a single refrigerator bill for documentation purposes, an incorrect declaration regarding the functional status of an air-conditioner, and failure to upload an updated rent agreement after the expiry of the earlier lease period.
Based on these findings, the Senior Drug Inspector recommended cancellation of the drug sale licences issued in the public interest of both the Pradhan Mantri Jan Aushadhi Kendra located within CHC Raipur and the nearby M/s Rawat Medicos. Accepting the recommendation, the district administration has revoked both the licences.
Meanwhile the district administration has reiterated its commitment to ensuring the availability of affordable and accessible medicines to the public and has made it clear that strict action will be taken against any irregularity that undermines public welfare.
