Bhubaneswar, September 25: The Sixth Executive body Meeting of the State Medicinal Plants Board (SMPB) chaired by Additional Chief Secretary, Forest, Environment & Climate Change Department Satyabrata Sahu on Friday approved the five-year vision plan of the board to strengthen the conservation, cultivation, and commercialization of medicinal plants across the State.
Sahu informed that the first-year funding will be met from the Odisha Forestry Sector Development Society (OFSDS). From the second year onwards, the programme will expand through convergence with AYUSH, Panchayati Raj, SC & ST Development, and other related departments.
He further announced that MoU with FRLHT (Bengaluru), IRMA (Anand), and MSSRF (Chennai) will be signed in the first week of November to strengthen technical collaboration.
The products developed under the initiative will be marketed under the brand name Kalinga Herbs.
To promote accessibility, the Chief Executive of Regional Plant Resources Centre (RPRC) has been directed to provide a dedicated outlet for SMPB products at RPRC, Bhubaneswar.
The meeting was attended by senior officials including SMPB Chief Executive V. Karthick, PCCF Suresh Pant, CCF, PPA G. Rajesh, Horticulture Director Gorakh Waman Kalunge, AYUSH Director Anjana Panda RPRC Chief Executive Sudhansu Sekhar Khora.
Other members and invitees present were Dr. Murugesan, IFS (PD, OFSDP – Special Invitee), Sri Debapriya Kampa (DCF, SMPB), Sri Anup Kumar Sahoo (Additional Secretary, PR & DW Department), and Sri Manoj Kumar Nayak (Deputy Director, SSD Department).
