Arogya Fair begins in Dehradun

 While inaugurating a four-day ‘Rashtriya Arogya Swasthya Mela’ organized at Parade ground on Friday, the Chief Minister of Uttarakhand Dr. Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’ said that it was mandatory to link Ayurveda with employment in order to promote Ayurveda. Besides, special emphasis must be laid upon quality-control at every level, i.e., production, exploitation, and marketing.  He also added that the Government of India must take immediate action for giving Uttarakhand the status of an Ayush state in addition to helping it in establishment of Ayush Research Centre as well as according recognition to Sanjivani Board.

CM Dr. Nishank said that besides being ‘Devbhoomi’, Uttarakhand was also the birth-place of Ayurveda. He added that Uttrakhand was a state that possessed medicinal plants in abundance. The CM said, “Ayurveda has become a part of the life-style of the common people today. It is Ayurveda that has made a special contribution in according us the reputation of being the ‘Vishwa Guru’. It is our responsibility to keep the growing faith of the people all across the world in Ayurveda intact. Thestate government has taken many significant steps to promote Ayurveda, Yoga, Naturopathy, Unani, and Homeopathy. The state government has decided to include Ayurveda, Yoga, and Naturopathy, in the academic curriculum”. CM Dr. Nishank added that an International Research Centre in the field of Ayush was being established in Uttarakhand in addition to establishing Ayush village at Bhawali.

CM Dr. Nishank said that special emphasis must be laid upon quality-control at every level, i.e., production, exploitation, and marketing, with a view to ensuring that the Ayurvada had its recognition sustained. He added that with a view to linking Ayurveda with employment, the state government had linked 22 thousand farmers with cultivation of medicinal-plants and it was targeted to link 50 thousand more farmers with it. He hoped that such a step would enhance the earning of the farmers. He added that there was the need of dedicated people in the field of Ayurveda. The CM demanded that the Government of India must take immediate action for giving Uttarakhand the status of Ayush Pradesh in addition to helping it in establishment of Ayush Research Centre as well as according recognition to Sanjivani Board.

CM Dr. Nishank added that the state government had taken many significant decisions for promoting Ayush. He added that new researches were needed to cater to the needs of the present age. He added that there were many Ayurvedic medicines that were being used even by the allopathic doctors. The CM also laid emphasis on enhancing production of medicinal-plants, so as to ensure that there should not be any adulteration in Ayurvedic medicines with its growing demand.

Joint Consultant of Ayurveda under Ministry of Health, Government of India, Janardan Pandey said that the Uttarakhand was playing a vital role in promoting Ayurveda.

Principal Secretary, Ayush, Rajiv Gupta said that the objective of the Mela was to publicize Ayush-systems as well as extending its reach to the common public.

Deputy Director of FICCI Pravin Mittal told that free-of-cost heath check-up and Yoga exhibition besides Ayush Medicines Herbal Production and exhibition of medicinal plants would also be there during the course of the Mela.

Secretary Horticulture Vinod Fonia; DG Ayush Pooja Bharadwaj; and Deputy Secretary, Ministry of Health, Government of India Suman Chatterji were also present on the occasion.