Manipur's first hub of medicinal and aromatic plants (MAPs) will be set up soon at Sunusiphai in Bishnupur district, Health Minister L Jayantakumar Singh said on Thursday.
The minister made the announcement on Thursday during his inspection of the site at Langjingmanbi Forest Reserve, Sunusiphai, Bishnupur district. He said that the MAPs hub project will be taken up under the Aatma-Nirbhar Bharat Abhiyan very soon as the required land for the project is available.
Jayantakumar said the new project will be introduced in the form of Public-Private Partnership model (PPP) and to begin the project, the Manipur State Medicinal Plant Board (MSPB) will sign an agreement with LYS Agency Private Ltd, Kwakeithel, Imphal West.
The step has been taken up under the initiative of North East Institute of Science and Technology (NEIST) which is under Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, Jorhat, Assam, he added.
Jayantakumar further stated that there is a big scope of employment generation through plantation of aromatic and medicinal plants in the state as the soil of the state is fertile and suitable to grow such plants.
While assuring that marketing facilities of the plant will be provided by the state government, the minister further stated that saplings of the aromatic and medicinal plants will also be provided at free of cost to the interested farmers of the state.
CEO of MSPB, Dr A Guneshwor Sharma said that highly valuable medicinal plants grown in the state should be protected and promoted as such plants will help to generate income for the farmers. Bishnupur district will soon become a model district in cultivation of aromatic and medicinal plants once the project turns into reality, he added.
Proprietor of LYS Agency, L Rattan Khuman and some officials of the concerned department were also present in the inspection visit.
