Srinagar: Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) AYUSH, Shripad Yesso Naik and Union Minister of State (Independent Charge), Ministry for Development of North Eastern Region, Dr Jitendra Singh Friday laid e-foundation for Post Harvest Management Centre for Medicinal Plants in the premises of Institute of High Altitude Medicinal Plant under National Medicinal Plants Board, Ministry of AYUSH besides e-inaugrating 21 AYUSH Health and Wellness Centres upgraded under Ayushman Bharat operational at Kathua, Samba and Jammu districts.
Among others who attended the program through Video Conferencing included Financial Commissioner, Health and Medical Education, J&K, Atal Dulloo, Joint Secretary Ministry of AYUSH, Roshan Jaggi besides Deputy Commissioner, Doda, Dr Sagar D Doifode, Director ISM, ADC Bhaderwah, ASP Bhaderwah, CEO Bhaderwah Development Authority and other senior officers.
Dr Jitendra Singh, while speaking on the occasion, said persistence efforts have been made to establish the first of its kind institute in Bhaderwah area. He lauded the efforts of district administration for taking the project on war footing basis for larger interest of farmer’s fraternity. He said with establishment of this prestigious institute many researchers and scholars will visit the district to conduct their research works. “The farmers will get actual education about herbal cultivation besides the produce will be certified, branded, packed and sold to the Ayush industry as well as in the national markets which will in turn enhance farmer’s income”, he asserted.
Dr Singh said the Union Government under the leadership of Prime Minister, Narendera Modi is making strenuous efforts to promote Ayurveda not only at the national but international level as well. He added that the development activities have gained a significant momentum in the UT as well as in Udhampur Doda constituency in the past six years. He made a mention of several projects which were the long pending demands of the general public of the constituency like newly sanctioned Women College at Doda, Degree College at Marmat and Thathri, new alternate highway of Sudhmahdev, GMC at Doda, Kathua and Udhampur, 2 power projects at Kishtwar.
While addressing the participants, Shripad Yesso Naik said almost 194 AYUSH Health and Wellness Centres worth Rs. 11 crore have been sanctioned for the UT in the last two years, of which, more than 50 have been made operational with the availability of latest IT equipments, availability of medicine, doctors etc. He said AYUSH has reoriented the health facilities across the country and is playing pivotal role even during this time of Covid-19 pandemic. He said with the coming of this institute herbal cultivation will be increased in the entire Chenab valley, new seeds will be produced and given to the farmers for herbal cultivation.
“The initiative has been taken to shift the traditional system of farming towards herbal farming which has huge potential in the present times across the world”, he maintained while highlighting the benefits of Ayurveda. He said 4 new AYUSH hospitals were earlier sanctioned for J&K and the construction work on all of those is going on fast pace, one Ayurveda college at Jammu has already been made functional while the Unani Medical College at Kashmir is at completion stage and shall start functioning in the coming days.
He asked the UT administration to start recruitment process for these institutions and assured that funds will be made available to the concerned to ensure further streamlining of the sector in the UT.
He informed that so far around Rs 4.00 crore have been released for establishment of different components of Institute of Medicinal Plants. He further informed that during the current financial year 100 more AYUSH Health and Wellness Centres have been approved for J&K taking the total figure of approved AYUSH HWCs to 194. The Ministry of AYUSH is also promoting cluster cultivation in far flung areas suitable for herbal cultivation and shall also promote the Atma Nirbhar Abhiyan under the sector, he added.
Atal Dulloo informed that the components which are being established in the Institute of High Altitude Medicinal Plants include District Collection Centre, Drying shed and Storage Godown (Post Harvest Management Centre). These shall constitute a complete package for the Farmers, Growers, Traders and entrepreneurs associated with Medicinal Plants Sector, he added. He further said the department shall not leave any stone unturned in ensuring that the facilities will be provided in all approved AYUSH H&WCs.
Director Indian Systems of Medicine (AYUSH), Dr Mohan Singh, briefed the participants on the objective of Institute of High Altitude Medicinal Plants being established at Bhaderwah in district Doda and AYUSH HWCs being established across J&K.
Deputy Commissioner, Doda, Dr Sagar D Doifode, informed that the Revenue department shall ensure that each and every ISM Dispensary currently functioning in rented buildings shall be provided government land. He informed that government land will soon be identified for 50 bedded AYUSH Integrated Hospital in the district. He further informed that around 600 kanal of land is under cultivation of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants in the district.
DDC informed the Union Ministers that in the last two years the herbal cultivation in the district has jumped from 250 kanal to 650 kanal and the lavender and marigold cultivation has increased manifold in the district.
