Lok Sabha Question No. 1485 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2023-07-28
Subject: Schemes for Indigenous Medicinal/Herbal Plants in Rajasthan
Ministry: AYURVEDA,YOGA & NATUROPATHY,UNANI,SIDDHA AND HOMEOPATHY (AYUSH)
Asked by: Balak Nath

## GOVERNMENTOFINDIA MINISTRY OF AYUSH

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. †1485 TO BE ANSWERED ON 28 TH JULY, 2023

## 'SCHEMES FOR INDIGENOUS MEDICINAL/HERBAL PLANTS IN RAJASTHAN'

## †1485. SHRI BALAK NATH:

Will the Minister of AYUSH be pleased to state:

- (a) the details of the schemes being implemented by the Government for identification, documentation, conservation/preservation, processing and commercial use of indigenous medicinal/herbal plants in Rajasthan;
- (b) whether the Government has imparted any training to the farmers/entrepreneurs/youth to facilitate them in production, processing and marketing of medicinal/herbal plants in Rajasthan;
- (c) if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor;
- (d) whether the Government proposes to set up any research institute in Rajasthan to study about indigenous herbal plants for their medicinal and aromatic use; and
- (e) if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER THE MINISTER OFAYUSH (SHRI SARBANANDASONOWAL)

(a): The National Medicinal Plants Board (NMPB), Ministry of Ayush is implementing a 'Central Sector Scheme for Conservation, Development and Sustainable Management of Medicinal Plants' throughout the country including the state of Rajasthan. Under the scheme, there is a provision to provide project based support to Government and Non Government Organizations for following activities:

-  Survey, inventorisation / documentation of medicinal plants.
-  In-situ conservation of medicinal plants in their natural habitats by way of establishing Medicinal Plants Conservation and Development Areas (MPCDAs).
-  Plantation of medicinal plants/herbal plants in forest areas through in-situ resource augmentation.
-  Plantation outside designated forest areas through ex-situ resource augmentation.
-  Support to Joint Forest Management Committees (JFMCs)/Panchayats/Van Panchayat/ Self Help Groups (SHGs)/ Biodiversity Management Committees (BMCs) for setting of local cluster for value addition, drying, warehousing and augmenting marketing infrastructure, etc.

Under the above said Central Sector Scheme, during last five years, total three (3) projects have been supported to State Forest Department, Rajasthan for resource augmentation and linking with livelihood of tribal population in Udaipur and Pratapgarh Forest Divisions. Support has been also provided to Department of Food and Biotechnology, Jyoti Vidyapeeth Women's University, Jaipur, Rajasthan for 'Exploration and Documentation of Ethno-medicinal Practices of Rural and Tribal Population of Rajasthan'.

In addition, the Central Council for Research in Ayurvedic Sciences (CCRAS), Ministry of Ayush is actively involved in collecting and documenting the traditional practices and herbal formulations through Tribal Health Care Research programme (THCRP) under Tribal sub plan (TSP) in 14 states including Rajasthan. Through THCRP, the M. S. Regional Ayurveda Research Institute, Jaipur-a peripheral institute of CCRAS, has documented Local Health Traditions (LHT) and folklore practices among Tribal Population in villages like Chatarpura, Dheekliya, Kanthariya, Godawara, NalaBada, Lunawatonka Khora, Selana.

(b) & (c): Yes Sir. The NMPB, Ministry of Ayush through its Regional Cum Facilitation Centre (Western Region) has organized 08 training programmes/workshops since 2020-21 in different districts of Rajasthan and imparted training to about 500 farmers / entrepreneurs / youth to facilitate them in cultivation, production and marketing of medicinal / herbal plants.

In addition, the State Medicinal Plants Board, Rajasthan has also organized 11 Training programmes in different districts of Rajasthan and imparted training to 792 farmers on cultivation, production, processing and marketing for medicinal plants.

(d) & (e) : The Ministry of Ayush's research council viz. Central Council for Research in Ayurvedic Sciences (CCRAS) has already setup a peripheral institute 'M. S. Regional Ayurveda Research Institute' at Jaipur, which is conducting research on Guggulu nursery development and extraction of Gum at Guggalu Herbal Farm, Mangaliawas, Ajmer, Rajasthan and about 60 species of various medicinal plants are being grown/cultivated including Guggulu plants. Besides, the National Institute of Ayurvedia (NIA), Jaipur under Ministry of Ayush is also involved in research on medicinal / herbal plants.