The State Minister for Ayush, Forestry and Environment, Harak Singh Rawat, has said that the forest department is mulling over making Uttarakhand the herbal hub of the country while working on a public-private partnership with Patanjali Yog Peeth. The talks are in the final stage as the Ayush department and the forest department are engaged in finalising the deal, he said while addressing a symposium hosted by Patanjali Ayurved College on the theme ‘Ayurveda as world therapy’ on Thursday.
He further said that the widespread use of the State’s herbal reserves in scientific manner would help stopping migration from the hills to the plains. The symposium was attended among others by Ayurveda researchers, vice- chancellors, professors, students and directors of several Ayurvedic universities and colleges based in the State aside from a host of State Ministers.
While dwelling on the developmental role being played by around 13,000 van panchayats operating in the State, the Minister said that the jadi buti (medicinal herbs) being collected from the State would be taken to world to meet the surging market demand with the assistance of Patanjali group. “We are focused on stopping migration through using the resources left in the hills to generate employment for the youths,” he said, adding that Uttarakhand is one of the four states in India which have their own Ayurved universities.
The Minister assured that the State Government would supply all the required raw materials in the form of herbs to Patanjali. Asked about research on herbs and Ayurvedic medicines, Rawat said that the State Government would make sufficient number of research laboratories to take things forward. “We would collaborate with Patanajli Research Institute to run the testing laboratories for the state government,” he said. Notably, the Prime Minister Narendra Modi had inaugurated one such PRI lab recently.
Speaking as the guest of honour, the Minister for agriculture and horticulture Subodh Uniyal said that things were speeding up after the AYUSH department was formed.
“Though formed in 1995, the department of Indian System of Medicine and Homeopathy (ISM&H) could not have achieved much. Our Government has taken a slew of initiatives to enhance the plantation of medicinal and aromatic plants. Recently as a pilot project, we have successfully grown kutaki herb on a massive scale,” he said, adding that joining hands with the Patanjali group would take things far.
The general secretary of Patanjali Yog Peeth Acharya Balkrishna said that the main objective behind hosting the symposium is to take the Indian science of Ayurveda to the world at large. “We are determined to make Uttarakhand the Ayush state in the country as it is blessed with rich bio-reserves. Things are progressing fast in the desired direction,” he added.