Raipur: Taking advantage of the rich biodiversity of the state, the government is setting up a `Herbal and Medicinal Park' in Dhamtari district, official sources said on Wednesday.
"The park spread over 150 acre government land near Banjari and Bagoud villages near Kurud town, about 90 km from the state capital, will be the first of its kind in the country, with an initial investment of Rs 60 crore," state forest department sources said.
The park was being set up with the help of Chhattisgarh State Infrastructure Development Corporation, the sources said.
Once completed, the park is expected to attract Rs 250 crore worth of investment.
Chhattisgarh has a 59,772 sq km area of forest, where there are as many as 450 types of herbs and trees, which are used as medicines and at least 88 of them could be exploited on commercial basis, sources said.
Currently the forest produces are giving revenue of Rs 1,200 crore and once the medicinal plants are exploited there could be many fold growth in the revenue, the sources said.
"Chhattisgarh has a scope for both plantation and processing of medicinal plants and the herbal and medicinal park will provide that avenue for increasing the income of both the state government as well as the private entrepreneurs," sources added.
Currently in Mudhipar of Mahasamund district, Pratappur of Sarguja, Panchakki of Jashpur and Kewanchi of Bilaspur district processing centres were being run for the herbal medicines, sources said adding, the Dhamtari Park will give a bigger platform for the entrepreneurs to invest.
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