In a major breakthrough, Punjab has established its first Medicinal Plants Nursery in collaboration with the Forest Research Institution, Dehradoon at Village Bhatoli in block Talwara under Hoshiarpur district, which would prove to be a major boon for the crop persification plan.Forest and Wild life Conservation Minister of Punjab, Mr. Chunni Lal Bhagat today said that the basic aim behind this nursery was to provide the alternative to farmers against the traditional paddy and wheat crop pattern in the state. He said that the nursery would supply more than 100 varieties of herbal plants, which has been brought from various nurseries around the country.
The plants, especially used for treatment of human beings as well as curing animals diseases in ancient India have also been purchased to give a push to ayurvedic treatment system. Earlier the Punjab Government has also set up a Guru Ravidas Ayurvedic University at Hoshiarpur. In next step these varieties would be developed on large scale to fulfill the demand of plants by farmers as Punjab Government has decided to initiate a campaign to aware the farmers about to replace cash crops with these plants, he added.The Minister has also added that Punjab Chief Minister Mr. Parkash Singh Badal would inaugurate the nursery in mid November. For the marketing of these saplings special arrangement has been made by the forest department and all District forest officers has been appointed as nodal officers in this regard. The plants at nursery mainly included Sandal, Bamboos, Falsa, Lemon grass, Roja, Nirgundi, Tej Patta, Jal Brahmi, Mushkpur, Bajardanti, Malkangni, Banaksha, Shiv Nag, Nilkanth, Saket Basa and Kasturi etc.