Mangaluru: Dakshina Kannada district in-charge minister Kota Srinivas Poojary, on Monday, April 13, directed all superintendents of the Pradhan Mantri Jan Aushadhi medical stores in the Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts to keep the medical stores open from 7 am instead of 9 am.

The Minister made gave this order after he received complaints from the people that they are forced to opt for private medical stores and pay more money because the Jan Aushadhi medical store opens only after 9 am.

The Jan Aushadhi medical stores came as a huge relief to the poor after they began functioning in the country. The medicines in these stores are available at a discounted rate of up to 50 per cent. While the Dakshina Kannada district has 34 Jan Aushadhi centres, Udupi district has 27 such stores.