Shimla: The Himachal Pradesh government, the Indian Army and Shree Baidyanath Ayurved have joined hands to promote large-scale cultivation of medicinal and aromatic plants in selected border and remote villages of the state, to strengthen sustainable livelihoods for local residents.
A tripartite memorandum of understanding was signed in the presence of Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu between the Indian Army, the state government and Shree Baidyanath Ayurved, Jhansi.
Speaking on the occasion, the Chief Minister said the collaborative initiative would play an important role in promoting traditional ayurvedic practices while creating income opportunities for people living in border areas. He said the state government is focusing on livelihood-oriented programmes so that villagers in remote regions can achieve economic stability without being forced to migrate.
The agreement was signed by Col T.S.K. Singh on behalf of the Indian Army, Director Ayush Rohit Jamwal representing the state government, and Shailesh Sharma from Shree Baidyanath Ayurved.
Under the MoU, the Ayush Department will provide technical guidance and training to farmers on various aspects of medicinal plant cultivation. This will include information on suitable plant varieties, cultivation techniques and other related practices.
Shree Baidyanath Ayurved will ensure assured procurement of medicinal plants at fixed prices, providing income security to farmers. The company will also supply high-quality seeds or saplings of selected medicinal and aromatic plants.
The Indian Army will support the initiative by conducting training and technical sessions for farmers in border villages, helping them adopt improved and scientific cultivation methods.
The state government said the initiative is expected to encourage the cultivation of high-value medicinal plants, revive traditional ayurvedic knowledge and open up new livelihood options for villagers in far-flung and border areas of Himachal Pradesh.
