The proposed shifting of the Regional-cum-Facilitation Centre of the National Medicinal Plants Board for North Indian States (RCFC-NR-I) from Jogindernagar in Mandi district to Dr YS Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry, Nauni, in Solan has triggered strong opposition in the region.<\/p>\n
Established in October 2017 at the Research Institute of Indian System of Medicine, Jogindernagar, the centre was set up to strengthen the medicinal plants sector across seven northern states \u2014 Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Haryana, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Delhi and Chandigarh.<\/p>\n
The centre was envisaged as a platform connecting farmers, collectors, traders, academicians and other stakeholders, besides identifying gaps in the medicinal plant supply and value chain and facilitating solutions.<\/p>\n
The proposed relocation was scheduled for August 31, 2026. However, amid continuing protests, the centre has not yet been shifted. Protesters have secured an appointment with the Union Ayush Minister, with a meeting expected within the next two days. A final decision on the relocation is likely to follow the meeting.<\/p>\n
Sources said the decision to shift the centre was prompted by its failure to meet prescribed targets related to medicinal plant cultivation and promotion and its inability to adequately connect farmers with cultivation opportunities.<\/p>\n
Residents of Jogindernagar, however, have strongly opposed the move, arguing that the centre has over the years developed important links with farmers and other stakeholders in the region. They fear its relocation could weaken those linkages and deprive the area of an institution that has become an important part of the local medicinal plant ecosystem.<\/p>\n
The protest has continued for 48 days, with residents observing a hunger strike and demanding clarity on the rationale behind the proposed move and the centre\u2019s future role.<\/p>\n
Over the years, RCFC-NR-I has worked across the medicinal plant value chain, including collection, cultivation, harvesting, post-harvest management, processing, value addition, product development and market linkages. It has also facilitated certification-related activities and promoted e-Charak, aimed at improving marketing and knowledge-sharing in the sector.<\/p>\n
The centre has claimed to have built a network of stakeholders across the northern region, supported by state-wise databases, newsletters and regular communication. Stakeholders have also sought its assistance in areas such as post-harvest management, quality planting material, marketing and product development.<\/p>\n
With the relocation now at the centre of a growing local controversy, stakeholders are awaiting the Union Ayush Ministry\u2019s decision on whether RCFC-NR-I should be shifted or its functioning strengthened at Jogindernagar.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The proposed shifting of the Regional-cum-Facilitation Centre of the National Medicinal Plants Board for North Indian States (RCFC-NR-I)…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":919302,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[33],"tags":[64,63,137,490,487443],"class_list":["post-919301","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-medication","tag-au","tag-australia","tag-health","tag-medication","tag-medicinal-plants-centre-relocation-controversy"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/919301","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=919301"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/919301\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/919302"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=919301"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=919301"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=919301"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}