, Raipur, 07 December 2021. In Chhattisgarh, it is to be recognized as a herbal state while promoting its cultivation including conservation and promotion of medicinal plants. Forest and Climate Change Minister Shri Mohammad Akbar gave instructions to the uttashay in the review meeting of the Chhattisgarh Tribal, Local Health Tradition and Medicine Plant Board held at the residence office of Shankar Nagar in the capital today. Principal Secretary Forest Shri Manoj Pingua, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests and Chief of Forest Force Shri Rakesh Chaturvedi and all senior officers of the department were present in the meeting.
In the meeting, on the basis of market information of medicinal plants, the selection of species, marketing, nursery development, cluster formation and cultivation of medicinal plants and collection and conservation from forests, etc. were discussed in detail. During this, the Forest Minister, Shri Akbar laid special emphasis on providing employment and means of income to the local community and forest dwellers by connecting them to the local community and forest dwellers, including the cultivation of medicinal plants through the destruction method and its collection and promotion from the forests. Necessary discussion was also held in the meeting regarding providing loan facility at zero percent interest on medicinal plants due to its being an agricultural activity.
It was informed in the meeting that the main objective of the programs conducted under the Chhattisgarh Tribal, Local Health Tradition and Medicine Plant Board is to preserve, promote, market medicinal plants inside the forests in the state and provide economic benefits to the local community and to promote medicinal plants outside the forests. Agriculture is to assess the demand and supply and to provide sources of income for the farmers. Also, under the protection of traditional knowledge, dissemination of knowledge of traditional health system in the state, identification and capacity development of Vaidyas, recording of traditional knowledge, patenting the knowledge of traditional healers and establishment of treatment centers. Apart from this, the establishment of processing center for marketing of medicinal plants, export of products and planning, research, survey and policy making are included.
Under the future plans of the Board, it was informed in the meeting that out of the total forest area of the state, about one percent, ie 60 thousand hectare area, is to be planted intensively with medicinal plants. Apart from this, there is a plan to cultivate medicinal plants by farmers on 10 thousand acres of private land. On this occasion, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests and Managing Director, State Minor Forest Produce Shri Sanjay Shukla, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Wildlife) Shri P.V. Narsing Rao, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests, Forest Research and Extension Shri Atul Shukla, Chhattisgarh Tribal, Local Health Tradition and Medicine Plant Board Chief Executive Officer Shri J.A.C.S. Rao and Chief Executive Officer CAMPA Shri V. Srinivasa Rao and other officials were present.
