Lok Sabha Question No. 1801 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2017-03-10
Subject: Medicinal Plants
Ministry: AYURVEDA,YOGA & NATUROPATHY,UNANI,SIDDHA AND HOMEOPATHY (AYUSH)
Asked by: PRATAPRAO GANPATRAO JADHAV, PINAKI MISRA

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF AYURVEDA, YOGA & NATUROPATHY, UNANI, SIDDHA AND HOMOEOPATHY (AYUSH)

## LOK  SABHA UNSTARRED  QUESTION NO. 1801 TO BE ANSWERED ON 10 TH MARCH, 2017

## MEDICINAL PLANTS

## 1801. SHRI PRATAPRAO JADHAV:

## SHRI PINAKI MISRA:

Will  the  Minister of AYURVEDA,  YOGA  AND  NATUROPATHY,  UNANI, SIDDHA AND HOMOEOPATHY (AYUSH ) be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government is aware that remote villages of Kerala are in the know how o medicinal plants/herbs which they have been usi ng for centuries successfully in the treatment of cancer, if so, the details thereof;
- (b) whether the Government has conducted any survey in this regard and if so, the detai findings thereof;
- (c) whether the Government has any proposal to conduct proper and thorough research work i this regard and if so, the details thereof;
- (d) whether there are possibilities of production of medicinal/herbal plants in Buldhana d Maharashtra;
- (e) if so, th e details thereof along with the schemes implemented in the said district to i the production of these plants; and
- (f)  the  extent  upto  which  the  production  of  medicinal/herbal  plants  has  been  increase implementation of said schemes till dat e?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF STATE (IC) OF THE MINISTRY OF AYURVEDA, YOGA & NATUROPATHY, UNANI, SIDDHA AND HOMOEOPATHY (SHRI SHRIPAD YESSO NAIK)

(a) to (c): Yes, as per information provided by State Government, some indigenous people or traditional village healers including tribal communities of Kerala claim that there ar medicinal plants which they had been using for centuries for the treatment of v arious diseases including cancer.  For example the plant species viz. Simarouba glauca and Annona muricata are very  popular  among  the  traditional  healers.    However,  there  is  no  information  availa scientific evidence and efficacy of these species.

A research council of Ministry of AYUSH viz . Central Council for Research in Unani Medicine (CCRUM) has conducted an ethnobotanical survey in three Forest Divisions of Kera State and recorded folk claims of one plant species ( Decalepis hamiltonii ) as anti - cancerous.

As per information provided by State Government various institutions in Kerala suc Amla Cancer Research Centre (ACRC), Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology (RGCB) etc. are carrying  out  research  work  for  phytochemical  screening  of  plants  f or  identifying  potential compounds which are effective against cancer.

(d) to (f): Yes, there are possibilities of production of medicinal / herbal plants in B district of Maharashtra.

To increase the production of medicinal plants in the country including Buldhana district of Maharashtra, the National Medicinal Plants Board (NMPB), Ministry of AYUSH under it Central  Sector  Scheme  on  'Conservation,  Development  and  Sustainable  Management  of Medicinal Plants' is supporting resource augmentation of t hese plants in forest areas and in this regard provides project based financial assistance to State Forest Departments / agenc Buldhana  district,  in  year  2014 - 15,  the  NMPB  under  above  scheme  has  supported  a  project entitled 'Resource augmentation of medicinal plants in Buldana Forest Division, Maharashtra' with  objectives  of  conservation  and  resource  augmentation  of  medicinal  trees,  shrubs, species  ( i.e. Phyllanthus  emblica,  Pterocarpus  marsupium,  Semecarpus  marsupium,  Sterculia urenus,  Semeca rpus  anacardium,  Terminalia  chebula,  Celastrus  paniculata,  Heliciteres  iso etc. ) in about 200 hectare forest area.

In addition to above, to increase the production of medicinal plants, the NMPB, Min of AYUSH under its Centrally Sponsored Scheme of National AYUSH Mission (NAM) is also promoting large scale cultivation of medicinal plants on farmer's land and in this regard provides financial assistance as subsidy to farmer's for cultivation of these plants throughout the country including State of M aharashtra.  In Buldana district of Maharashtra, the NMPB has provide financial  assistance  for  cultivation  of  medicinal  plants  species  like Piper  longum and Chlogophytum borivilianum etc.

As per the Study - cum - Survey  conducted by  NMPB in 2014 - 15  to  assess  Demand and Supply of Medicinal Plants, the estimated annual volume of medicinal plants in the count grown from 3,17,500 MT in 2004 - 05 to 5,12,000MT in 2014 - 15 i.e. registering a growt h of more than 60% in the last one decade.

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