PASIGHAT, Dec 26:  The Union Minister of Ports, Shipping & Waterways and Ayush, Sarbananda Sonowal and Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister, Pema Khandu laid the foundation stones for capacity expansion at the North Eastern Institute of Ayurveda and Folk Medicine Research (NEIAFMR) here today. With a total investment of Rs. 53 crore, additional infrastructure will be developed at the institute.
The event was also graced by the Speaker of Arunachal Pradesh Legislative Assembly, Pasang Dorjee Sona, Health & Family Welfare Minister Alo Libang, Arunachal East Lok-Sabha MP Tapir Gao, MLAs Kaling Moyong, Ninnog Ering, Kento Rina and Talem Taboh, State Information Commissioner Gumjhum Haider, the Vice-Chancellor of Arunachal Pradesh State University, Prof Tomo Riba, NEIAFMR Director Rabindra Teron and East Siang DC Tayi Taggu among other dignitaries.
Addressing the gathering, Sonowal said, “Folk medicine has a rich heritage of healing humanity for thousands of years. It has remained among our communities helping generations to enrich their lives. Under the visionary leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, a sincere effort has been made to rejuvenate the traditional medicine including the folk medicine to bolster our healthcare system and provide people with an experience of enriched life experience. Supplementing this effort, the Modi government has committed investment to build additional infrastructure at the North Eastern Institute of Ayurveda and Folk Medicine Research (NEIAFMR) which will build its capacity to act as a catalyst to strengthen its research and development in Ayurveda and folk medicine from the region. I am also happy to share with you all that a new centre on Sowa Rigpa will be set up in Arunachal Pradesh soon.” 
The institute has also been working towards scientifically documentation, record, researching as well as validate the folk medicine of the Northeast. The capacity expansion at the institute includes an Academic building, hostels for boys and girls students, staff quarters as well as director’s bungalow. The hostels will accommodate 70 boys and 70 girls students from the institute. The investment will cater to develop of additional infrastructure for opening of Ayurveda college for imparting quality in undergraduate course in Ayurveda, Bachelor of Ayurveda Medicine and Surgery (BAMS) as well as Post Graduate courses in due course of time. The new Ayurveda college at NEIAFMR, Pasighat will promote and develop Ayurveda through Education, Research and Extension Services. The Engineering Projects (India) Limited, a Government of India Enterprise, is the executing agency for the project.
Elaborating on the role of NEIAFMR, Minister Sonowal said, “Under the visionary leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Government is working towards rejuvenating the traditional form of medicines like Ayurveda, Yoga, Unani, Siddha, Homoeopathy, Sowa Rigpa and Naturopathy. As the nation cruise towards becoming an Atmanirbharta, the Ayush ministry is working relentless towards enabling our rich traditional medicinal system with scientific validation for wider usage in the pharmaceutical and patient care areas of medical science. This is going to not only benefit our traditional healers but also expand the scope of folk medicine, allowing it to reach greater number of people to heal and enrich their lives. The NEIAFMR is a leading institute of India that has been dedicatedly working towards reviving the folk medicine from the region. Our rich heritage of Ayurveda can also flourish from the local rich traditional medicinal practices. With this idea, the institute incorporated Ayurveda to further rejuvenate with a wider range of patient care solutions. In order to further bolster its effort, we are committed to develop this institute as the national hub of folk medicine.”
The government aims to further strengthen NEIAFMR with infrastructure like (Regional Raw Drug Repository (RRDR) & Museum, Sophisticated Analytical Instrument Facility (SAIF), State of Art Panchakarma Treatment & Research Center, Paramedical Teaching Center, etc at NEAIFMR, Pasighat in the near future, added the Union Minister.
Speaking on the occasion, Chief Minister Pema Khandu said, “We are very happy that an institution of Arunachal Pradesh - North Eastern Institute of Ayurveda and Folk Medicine Research (NEIAFMR) - is working towards harnessing the richness of folk medicine of the Northeast. Under the inspiring leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi the capacity of the institute is being expanded that will not only help the traditional medicine from the region but also is an opportunity to document our age old folk medicine in a scientific manner for wider application in patient care beyond its traditional geographical reach. Modi has always laid emphasis on the rejuvenation of India’s traditional medicine as it has proven its effectiveness to treat various ailments and enabling a better life experience. The region’s rich variety of medicinal plants with great commercial potential for Pharmaceutical, Ayurvedic & aromatic sectors unlocking commercial avenues for the state as well as for the Northeast.”
Loksabha MP Tapir Gao suggested the minister to send researchers to the institute time to time stating that it would help to gain new research ideas on locally available medicinal plants and inspire our scholars to access to a wide range of other activities in a variety of disciplines and multiple aspects of traditional healing and related issues.  
Pasighat East MLA Kaling Moyong appealed the Union Minister to reserve all grade III and IV posts for the locals in NEIAFMR. He also appealed to introduce inland water service between Dibrugarh and Pasighat (Komlighat) to promote tourism, business activities and waterways communication for the century old township.

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Kenter Joya Riba

(Managing Editor)
      She is a graduate in Science with post graduation in Sociology from University of Pune. She has been in the media industry for nearly a decade. Before turning to print business, she has been associated with radio and television.
Email: kenterjoyaz@easternsentinel.in / editoreasternsentinel@gmail.com
Phone: 0360-2212313

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