THE PATANJALI Yog Peeth Haridwar has decided to set up an Ayurvedic college, Panchkarma Institute, Yogpeeth and herbal research centre in Himachal Pardesh, next year. This was stated by Dr Rajeev Bindal, Health minister, while speaking as chief guest in 15th annual convocation of the Rashtriya Ayurveda Vidyapeeth in New Delhi. The Yog Peeth will be at Solan, under the able guidance of Yog Guru Swami Ram Dev.

 
The management would set up the institute with an initial infrastructural investment of Rs. 50 crore and added that the government has identified land at few places in the Solan district. He said that 100 bighas land will be provided to Patanjalee Yogpeeth and the construction work on the institution will start in 2009. He also announced the setting up of an Ayurvedic University in the state to promote the herbal research and education on Ayurveda. He said that the Ayurvada system of medicines will be promoted as mainstay in Himachal.


“The Himachal government has taken various steps to encourage Ayurveda system among the medical practioners,” Bindal said. He said that the state has launched a campaign to sensitise the people about use of herbal plants in daily life and added that the government will conduct an extensive research on plantation of herbal plants on commercial basis. He added that that the government will take steps for massive plantations of herbal plants in high altitude areas of the state which are suitable for herbal plantations.
 
He said that state Ayurveda department has been declared as a nodal agency for the implementation of ‘Anemia free Himachal’ programme in the state and added that anemia patients will be separately treated with Ayurvedic and allopathic systems and their finding will be shared with rest of the country to pave way for independent treatment by Ayurveda for certain diseases. He advised for minimum use of Allopathic medicines in Ayurvedic health institutions.


He appreciated the guru-shisya programme launched by the Rashtriya Ayurveda Vidyapeeth to promote and expand the knowledge of the Ayurveda from the learned Vaids to young practitioners, which would further pave the way for research and development of the various aspects of Ayurveda medicines. He asked the institutions to expand the activities under the guru-shisya programme and also increase the intake of the students under this programme, so that the traditional knowledge is shared and preserved for the welfare of general masses.
 
Bindal asked the institutions to bring more quality and standards in Ayurvedic education and research so as to bring the entire globe under the Ayurvedic system. He briefed about the activities being undertaken in the Himachal Pradesh under the Ayurveda department and said that present government has promoted Ayurveda to great extent. He said that Ayurveda practitioner in the state are doing excellent work in providing treatment to the patients in backward, remote and snow bound areas of the state.
 
Earlier, Bindal inaugurated the annual convocation by lighting the lamp and also released the souvenir of Vidyapeeth. The Health minister was given fellowship of the Vidyapeeth for his outstanding contribution for promotion of the Ayurveda in the state.