Lok Sabha Question No. 326 (STARRED), answered on 2023-08-11
Subject: Pradhan Mantri VRIKSH AYUSH Yojana
Ministry: AYURVEDA,YOGA & NATUROPATHY,UNANI,SIDDHA AND HOMEOPATHY (AYUSH)
Asked by: Poonam (Mahajan) Vajendla Rao

## GOVERNMENT OFINDIA MINISTRY OF AYURVEDA, YOGA & NATUROPATHY, UNANI, SIDDHAAND HOMOEOPATHY(AYUSH)

## LOKSABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 326 TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 11 TH AUGUST,2023

## PRADHAN MANTRI VRIKSH AYUSH YOJANA

## *326. SHRIMATI POONAM MAHAJAN:

Will the Minister of AYUSH be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the National Medicinal Plant Board (NMPB) has allocated funds to establish Post-harvest Management Infrastructure and marketing under 'Pradhan Mantri VRIKSH AYUSH Yojana' to boost the cultivation and production of medicinal plants and herbs in the country;
- (b) if so, the details thereof, State/UT-wise including Maharashtra;
- (c) the scientific steps taken/proposed to be taken by the Government for development of quality planting material of medicinal plants and herbs in different agro-climatic zones;
- (d) whether the NMPB has also signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with National Botanical Research Institute (NBRI) under Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) for the development of quality planting material of medicinal plants and herbs; and
- (e) if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER THE MINISTER OF AYURVEDA, YOGA & NATUROPATHY, UNANI, SIDDHAAND HOMOEOPATHY(AYUSH)

(SHRI SARBANANDASONOWAL)

- (a) to (e) A Statement is laid on the Table of the House.

## STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 326* FOR 11 TH AUGUST, 2023

(a) No, Madam. Ministry of Ayush, Government of India had formulated a draft scheme namely 'Pradhan Mantri VRIKSH AYUSH Yojana' to boost the cultivation, production and to establish post-harvest management infrastructure & marketing of medicinal plants in the country. Draft scheme on PM Vriksh Ayush Yojana is withdrawn and further, it has been decided not to proceed with the proposal.

- (b) Does not arise.

(c) The National Medicinal Plants Board (NMPB) is implementing Central Sector Scheme on 'Conservation, Development and Sustainable Management of Medicinal Plants'. Under the scheme, project based financial assistance is provided for carrying out research and development activities on survey, identification, characterization & conservation of medicinal plants, development of agro techniques, standardization of nursery techniques & cultivation practices and i n-vitro propagation studies, micro-propagation chemical & molecular profiling and phyto-chemicals evaluation.

Under the same scheme, there is a provision to provide project based financial support for establishing nursery and development of Quality Planting Material throughout the country. State/UTs-wise number of projects supported under Central Sector Scheme on Conservation, Development and Sustainable Management of Medicinal Plants for development of Quality Planting Material from the financial year 2015-16 to 2022-23 is given at Annexure-I.

Further, under the same scheme, National Medicinal Plants Board (NMPB) has established Regional Cum Facilitation Centres (RCFCs) within the existing Government Departments / Institutions (CSIR, Universities, AYUSH Institutions etc.) in various eco- regions of the country. To these RCFCs, the NMPB, Ministry of Ayush is also providing financial assistance for development of Quality Planting Material (QPM) of medicinal plants and herbs in different Agro-climatic zone and distribute them to farmers and other stakeholders for promotion of cultivation.

The detail of financial assistance provided and Quality Planting Material (QPM) of Medicinal Plants species developed through Regional Cum Facilitation Centers (RCFCs) projects of NMPB during the year 2017-18 to 2022-23 is as under:

| S. No.   | Regional Cum Facilitation Centres (RCFCs)   | Name of the Organization                                                                                                                              |   Fund released (Rs. in Lakhs) | No. of saplings of QPM Developed (In Nos.)   |
|----------|---------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|--------------------------------|----------------------------------------------|
| 1.       | RCFC (Northern Region-1)                    | Research Institute in Indian Systems of Medicine (RIISM), Joginder Nagar, Dist. Mandi, Himachal Pradesh - 175 015                                     |                            135 | 13,18,880                                    |
| 2.       | RCFC (Northern Region-2)                    | Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences &Technology of Kashmir (SKUAST-K), Faculty of Agriculture, Wadura, Sopore - 193201, Jammu& Kashmir |                            120 | 15,91,308                                    |
| 3.       | RCFC (Central Region)                       | State Forest Research Institute (SFRI), Polipathar, Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh - 482 008                                                                |                            120 | 4,92,624                                     |
| 4.       | RCFC (Eastern Region)                       | Jadavpur University, 188, Raja S.C. Mallick Road, Kolkata - 700032, West Bengal                                                                       |                            135 | 19,65,411                                    |
| 5.       | RCFC (Southern Region)                      | Kerala Forest Research Institute (KFRI), Peechi - 680653, Thrissur, Kerala                                                                            |                            135 | 32,84,670                                    |
| 6.       | RCFC (NE Region)                            | Council of Scientific and Industrial Research - North East Institute of Science &Technology (CSIR - NEIST), NH-37, Pulibor, Jorhat, Assam 785006      |                            135 | 16,99,263                                    |
| 7.       | RCFC (Western Region)                       | Department of Botany, Savitribai Phule Pune University, Ganeshkhind, Pune-411007, Maharashtra                                                         |                            135 | 7,76,335                                     |
| Total    | Total                                       | Total                                                                                                                                                 |                            915 | 1,11,28,491                                  |

Besides this, Ministry of Ayush, Government of India had also implemented the Centrally Sponsored Scheme of the National Ayush Mission (NAM) from the financial year 2015-16 to 2020-21. Under the medicinal plants component of National Ayush Mission (NAM) scheme, Minitry of Ayush had supported 220 nurseries from the financial year 2015-16 to 2020-21 to raise the quality planting material of medicinal plants. The State/ UT-wise detail of supported nurseries under the Medicinal Plants component of National Ayush Mission (NAM) scheme from the financial year 2015-16 to 2020-21 is given at Annexure - II.

(d) & (e) Yes, National Medicinal Plants Board, Ministry of Ayush has signed an MoU with National Botanical Research Institute (NBRI) - Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR) for the development of Quality Planting Material of medicinal plants and herbs.

The detail of Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed with National Botanical Research Institute (NBRI) under Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) for the development of quality planting material of medicinal plants and herbs is given at Annexure - III .

Detail of State/UTs-wise number of projects supported under Central Sector Scheme on Conservation, Development and Sustainable Management of Medicinal Plants for development of Quality Planting Material from the financial year 2015-16 to 2022-23.

| S.No.                              | State                              |   No. of projects supported to Quality Planting Material / Nursery |
|------------------------------------|------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------------|
| 1                                  | Andhra Pradesh                     |                                                                  3 |
| 2                                  | Arunachal Pradesh                  |                                                                  2 |
| 3                                  | Assam                              |                                                                  6 |
| 4                                  | Bihar                              |                                                                  1 |
| 5                                  | Chhattisgarh                       |                                                                  1 |
| 6                                  | Delhi                              |                                                                  4 |
| 7                                  | Goa                                |                                                                  2 |
| 8                                  | Gujarat                            |                                                                  3 |
| 9                                  | Himachal Pradesh                   |                                                                  2 |
| 10                                 | Jammu &Kashmir                     |                                                                  3 |
| 11                                 | Jharkhand                          |                                                                  0 |
| 12                                 | Karnataka                          |                                                                  2 |
| 13                                 | Kerala                             |                                                                  4 |
| 14                                 | Madhya Pradesh                     |                                                                  2 |
| 15                                 | Maharastra                         |                                                                  7 |
| 16                                 | Manipur                            |                                                                  3 |
| 17                                 | Meghalaya                          |                                                                  1 |
| 18                                 | Mizoram                            |                                                                  6 |
| 19                                 | Nagaland                           |                                                                  2 |
| 20                                 | Orissa                             |                                                                  4 |
| 21                                 | Punjab                             |                                                                  4 |
| 22                                 | Rajasthan                          |                                                                  2 |
| 23                                 | Sikkim                             |                                                                  1 |
| 24                                 | Tamil Nadu                         |                                                                  3 |
| 25                                 | Telangana                          |                                                                 10 |
| 26                                 | Uttar Pradesh                      |                                                                  7 |
| 27                                 | Uttarakhand                        |                                                                  2 |
| 28                                 | West Bengal                        |                                                                  6 |
| Total number of projects supported | Total number of projects supported |                                                                 93 |

The State/ UT-wise detail of supported nurseries under the Medicinal Plants component of National Ayush Mission (NAM) scheme from the financial year 2015-16 to 2020-21.

| Sl. No.   | State             |   2015-16 |   2016-17 |   2017-18 |   2018-19 |   2019-20 |   2020-21 |   Total |
|-----------|-------------------|-----------|-----------|-----------|-----------|-----------|-----------|---------|
| 1         | Andhra Pradesh    |         2 |         9 |         4 |         4 |         3 |         0 |      22 |
| 2         | Arunachal Pradesh |         0 |         0 |         1 |         1 |         3 |         0 |       5 |
| 3         | Assam             |         0 |         1 |         3 |         0 |         0 |         0 |       4 |
| 4         | Bihar             |         0 |         0 |         0 |         0 |         7 |         0 |       7 |
| 5         | Chhattisgarh      |         0 |         1 |         2 |         2 |         0 |         0 |       5 |
| 6         | Goa               |         0 |         1 |         1 |         0 |         2 |         0 |       4 |
| 7         | Gujarat           |         4 |         4 |         2 |         3 |         0 |         0 |      13 |
| 8         | Haryana           |         0 |         1 |         0 |         0 |         0 |         0 |       1 |
| 9         | Himachal Pradesh  |         1 |         0 |         2 |         3 |         3 |         0 |       9 |
| 10        | Jammu &Kashmir    |         6 |         2 |         2 |         4 |         1 |         2 |      17 |
| 11        | Karnataka         |         0 |         0 |         0 |         1 |         0 |         0 |       1 |
| 12        | Kerala            |         1 |         2 |         2 |         2 |         0 |        10 |      17 |
| 13        | Madhya Pradesh    |         0 |         0 |         0 |         0 |         0 |         0 |       0 |
| 14        | Maharashtra       |         0 |         0 |         2 |         0 |         4 |         0 |       6 |
| 15        | Manipur           |         2 |         0 |         1 |         2 |         1 |         0 |       6 |
| 16        | Meghalaya         |         0 |         2 |         3 |         0 |         2 |         0 |       7 |
| 17        | Mizoram           |         1 |         3 |         2 |         2 |         1 |         1 |      10 |
| 18        | Nagaland          |         0 |         0 |         4 |         3 |         0 |         0 |       7 |
| 19        | Orissa            |         0 |         0 |         0 |         3 |         0 |         0 |       3 |
| 20        | Puducherry        |         0 |         0 |         0 |         1 |         0 |         0 |       1 |
| 21        | Punjab            |         0 |         2 |         0 |         3 |         6 |         0 |      11 |
| 22        | Rajasthan         |         4 |         1 |         4 |         0 |         7 |         0 |      16 |
| 23        | Sikkim            |         0 |         1 |         0 |         0 |         0 |         0 |       1 |
| 24        | Tamil Nadu        |         0 |         0 |         0 |         0 |         0 |         0 |       0 |
| 25        | Telangana         |         1 |         2 |         2 |         1 |         3 |         0 |       9 |
| 26        | Tripura           |         0 |         0 |         0 |         0 |         0 |         0 |       0 |
| 27        | Uttarakhand       |         1 |         2 |         0 |         0 |         3 |         0 |       6 |
| 28        | Uttar Pradesh     |         5 |         5 |         0 |         1 |         0 |        10 |      21 |
| 29        | West Bengal       |         4 |         0 |         1 |         2 |         4 |         0 |      11 |
|           | TOTAL             |        32 |        39 |        38 |        38 |        50 |        23 |     220 |

## Annexure-III

## ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES BETWEEN NMPB AND NBRI-CSIR FOR THE DEVELOPMENTOFQUALITYPLANTINGMATERIALS(QPM)

## Role and Responsibilities of NMPB

During the term and tenure of MoU, NMPB will work through its implementing agencies i.e. State Medicinal Plant Boards, State Ayush Societies, State Horticulture Departments, Regional-cum-Facilitation Centres working across India in conjunction and collaboration with Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR) -National Botanical Research Institute (NBRI) to facilitate the following within the scope of the NMPB mandate:-

1. To identify the potential medicinal plant species with high commercial value for the germplasm collection/conservation and establishment of nursery and seed banks/gene banks.
2. To support CSIR-NBRI in carrying out the work listed above at item no. 1 by providing financial assistance in a project mode for the establishment of germplasm/seed banks for the medicinal plants identified by NMPB.
3. To evaluate and recommend projects by the concerned Screening Committee and place the approved projects before the Standing finance committee for approval and accordingly provide budgetary support on case to case basis.

## Role and Responsibilities of CSIR-NBRI

- Ø To develop Quality Planting Material (QPM) of medicinal plants and herbs identified by NMPB, establish their plant nurseries for QPM, development, promotion, conservation and cultivation of the appropriate medicinal plants in different agro-climatic zones, including the rare, endangered and threatened medicinal plants species or plants for the high altitude regions.
- Ø To undertake mass multiplication, agro-technology development, Quality Planting Material generation of selected medicinal plants and herbs.