National institute on medicinal plants to be set up

The government plans to set up a national institute on medicinal plants and is in the process of identifying suitable land for it, the Lok Sabha was informed on Friday.

An allocation of Rs.100 crore has been made during the 12th five year plan for the National Institute of Medicinal Plants (NIMP) out of which Rs.50 lakh have been earmarked for it during the current financial year.

"In this connection, the government is in the process of identifying suitable land in the country," Minister of State for Ayush Shripad Yesso Naik said in a written reply.

For export promotion of traditional medicines, every year the country participates in leading traditional medicine exhibitions such as Vita foods at Geneva and Supply Side West and Engredea in the US to showcase Ayush products at a global platform.

The Botanical Survey of India (BSI), an organization under the environment ministry, has been carrying out survey and documentation of all plant resources of the country, including medicinal and aromatic plants and herbs.

The National Medicinal Plants Board (NMPB) of the ministry of Ayush has been implementing the centrally sponsored scheme of "National Mission on Medicinal Plants" since 2008-09. The scheme is now part of the National Ayush Mission (NAM), Naik added.