Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Sept 10: Raising the demand for setting up Herbal Parks at the land acquired by SIDCO at Ghati and Kathua, former Minister and State president of NCP Thakur Randhir Singh today said that the returns are very high in growing Aromatic and Medicinal plants.
“If we hold the land of farmers for couple of years by providing them 40 percent subsidy like USA and China, they will learn to walk as all three regions of Jammu Kashmir and Ladakh have got rarest of rare Aromatic and medicinal plants,” he said in a statement.
Mr Singh, who is heading the Aromatic and Medicinal Plants Growers Association of India, duly recognized by the Ministry of Agriculture, Govt of India and having branches in more than 25 States of the country, said that the Government of India has given thrust for creating awareness among farmers about the potential of Aromatic and Medicinal plants.
However, he alleged that heads of the successive Governments in Jammu and Kashmir inspite of his frequent letters to them, never discussed the most important issue of making Jammu and Kashmir a herbal State. “I appeal to the new Chief Minister Mufti Mohd Sayeed and Dy Chief Minister Nirmal Singh that State Govt should immediately handover 9000 Kanals of fertile and irrigated land acquired at Ghati Tehsil and District Kathua seven years back for setting up of Herbal Park and also produce the varieties and planting material which are needed in the rainfed areas of Jammu region and also for Shivalik range and save the ecology and wildlife sanctuary Jasrota,” he said.
Mr Singh said that instead of Industrial Estate, a National Herbal Park and National Aromatic and Herbal Research Centre should be established at Ghati at the acquired land for the preservation of endangered species which had been the source of Ayurvedic treatment.
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