The Delhi high court on Friday ordered AIIMS to float fresh tenders for opening a charitable pharmacy for distribution of medicines at nominal rates to the poor inside the hospital premises.

A bench of justices S K Kaul and M L Mehta said the hospital attached unreasonable guidelines for setting up the shop which cannot be met by non-profit organisations. They have asked the AIIMS authorities to issue a fresh tender by January 14.

AIIMS filed an affidavit in the court earlier this year and had mentioned that space will be allotted to the organisation which has an annual turnover of more than Rs 50 lakh and which has the capacity to provide medicines to at least a 300-bedded hospital.

Sureka Public Charity Trust, an NGO, had filed a public interest litigation (PIL) in court last year asking for space inside the hospital to provide medicines to the poor at subsidised rates.