5-G Policy in 12th Five-Year Plan for Ayurveda demanded

T H I R U V A N A N - THAPURAM: Former Kerala Finance Minister Dr Thomas Issac called for a 5-G Policy in 12th Five-Year Plan for the support of Ayurveda aiming environmental balance and industrial growth. Inaugurating a Conclave on fi nancial support for the Ayurveda industry and its global promotion, here, Issac said “we are in the preparation of 12th Five Year Plan and focus must be given for Ayurveda in Kerala. We should implement a policy called 5-Gpolicy -- Good cultivation practices, Good laboratory practices,Good Manufacturing practices, Good Clinical practices and Good Marketing practices.” “Our state is doing pretty well in the economic arena and in per capita income. But this growth is only service sector oriented. We should give equal importance on environmental balance as well as industrial growth,” he added. K C Sashidar, Regional Chief General Manager of NABARD, said” at the moment, as there is no lack of funds, Rs 1, 90,000 crore has been earmarked by NABARD. We have to create awareness among farmers to cultivate medicinal plants which in turn is profi table for them. Immense wealth is lying untapped in Ayurveda, the oldest medical form and we have to keep the fl ame glowing and have to take it forward.” More than 60-70 per cent of medicinal plants are from forests. NABARD, along with the Government of India and State Forestry Department, will be the major fund contributors and are planning to set a database of farmers who cultivate Ayurvedic medicinal plants in their fi elds and provide raw materials to the industry, he added. “The database will constitute a Medicinal Plant Farmer Club and Farmers Scientist’s Club. This is because hundreds of farmers in Kerala may not have PhD but they have done exponentially well in farming. Member of the State Planning Commission and the Founder CEO of the Trivandrum Technopark Mr Vijayaraghavan said, “Best known international names come to Kerala for ayurvedic treatments with a only a small fraction going to Sri Lanka. However, Kerala falls only in the 3rd or 4th position in the fi eld of Ayurveda, whereas Srilanka is in the fi rst place. This clearly indicates that something has happened in Kerala. We have to move away from the conventional way through documentation.” A majority of the source of medicinal plants are the forests, which constitutes 35 per cent of the state. The medicinal plants which cost around Rs 150-200 kg will change its value to Rs 500- 600 kg when they reach the factories. This is mainly due to intermediaries, he said. To avoid this, our farmers should come forward and cultivate medicinal plants. For this the government should support industries, providing them with suffi - cient funds, he added.