The Hindu
Bangalore, Dec 27: The Department of Horticulture has sanctioned Rs. 10 crore to encourage farmers to raise 100 medicinal and herbal plants under different climatic conditions, some of which were on the verge of extinction in the State and develop them as marketable variety.
Minister for Horticulture and Prisons Umesh V. Katti said this would be done with the cooperation of the Central Institute of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants. Last financial year, Rs. 3.80 crore was spent for growing these plants with the State Government sharing Rs. 80 lakh. The funds would be utilised to help farmers, who were ready to plant such species of medicinal and herbal plants, facing extinction. Mr. Katti said the institute, engaged in the research in medicinal plants and training of farmers in raising and nourishing them had taken up the project in 20 districts. The project would be extended to the remaining districts in 2010-11. Giving an example of the plants facing extinction, he said there were varieties of gooseberry in the state, which had specific and peculiar properties and used in preparing medicines. Some of them had vanished during the last several years, because of neglect.
He said that gooseberry, tamarind and lemon in Bijapur district and neem and curry leaves in Gulbarga districts were grown and the farmers needed encouragement. He said the National Horticultural Mission extended support for cultivation of these plants and fruits of native varieties.
Mr. Katti said the Department of Prisons was recruiting for the posts of warders (342), jailers (22) and instructors (25) within the next three months.
Jail raided
The Minister said that his staff led by the Additional Director-General of Police Bipin Gopalakrishna had raided the Dharwad Jail and seized 21 mobile phones, several sets of DVDs of blue films and 70 gm of ganja from around 10 inmates. An iron rod had been seized from one of the inmates. In this connection, jail officers A.K. Ansari, Mohamed Farooq, Vadavadagi, Toogudalli and Veerabhadra Swamy had been kept under suspension.