Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal lays foundation stones for Ayush projects worth Rs 100 crore

Dudhnoi: The Union Minister of Ports, Shipping & Waterways and Ayush, Sarbananda Sonowal laid the foundation stone for the second Ayurvedic College of Assam on Monday. Sonowal also laid foundation stones for construction of two 50-bedded Ayush hospitals at Mowamarirjhar in Kokrajhar and at Silbari in Baksa, virtually from Dudhnoi.

The new college will be developed with an estimated cost of Rs 70 crores. The Ministry of Ayush approved the proposal for establishment of Ayurvedic College at Dudhnoi in Goalpara in 2022-23. The first Ayurvedic College was established way back in 1948 in Guwahati by Bharat Ratna Lok Priya Gopinath Bordoloi. The 50 bedded Integrated Ayush hospitals will be developed with an investment of Rs 30 crores. The college will have one G+3 College building, one boys hostel, one girls hostel, staff quarter, principal’s quarter, among other equipment, furniture, books etc. The college, which will be adjacent to the Integrated Ayush Hospitals, inaugurated by Sarbananda Sonowal in July, 2023, will be developed in 93 bighas of land. The state PWD will be executing agency and will be completed within 30 months.

Speaking on the occasion, the Union Minister, Sarbananda Sonowal said, “Under the dynamic leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Assam is reaping benefits of the many welfare initiatives transforming the lives of the people and enriching their quality of daily lives. Our traditional form of medicine remained neglected under the Congress governments, leading to its obscurity, until Narendra Modi took charge. Modi revamped the traditional form of medicine, with its rich legacy, and empowered it to become a force to reckon with. Ayush, with its rich patient care & enrichment solutions, has remained at the forefront of Global Wellness movement. Assam, rich with a complex and dynamic flora, has a rich history of local traditional medicines which has healed generations. For more than seven decades, most of which was ruled by the Congress, this unique offering and heritage of Assam was ignored. It is indeed a moment of great pride that Narendra Modi gave ample scope for development of Ayush sector in the state. It is a privilege that we can extend the legacy of Lok Priya Gopinath Bordoloi’s respect for Ayurveda with this new Ayurvedic College. After 1948, when Bordoloi Dangoriya gave Assam its first Ayurvedic College in Guwahati, we will now have a second college of Ayurveda in Dudhnoi, after an unfortunate hiatus of 76 years. Under the inspiring leadership of PM Narendra Modi ji, we remain committed to build a robust healthcare delivery system in the country, which is rich with an integrated modern and traditional forms of medicine, aimed at holistic care of the people towards building a Swastha Bharat, the very foundation on which we will achieve the vision of Modi ji to become Viksit Bharat.”

The new college in Dudhnoi will have a student intake capacity for 100 students who will be studying the undergraduate course (BAMS). Provisions have been made to start the postgraduate courses later on. The infrastructure will also feature top class research laboratory that will enable intra & interdisciplinary research, with a special focus to be developed as a knowledge hub for cultivation of medicinal plants in the entire region. The students will also have access to facilities to learn preventive as well as curative health care with OPD and IPD facilities offering treatments like Panchkarma, Kayachikitsa, Vata-Vyadhi, Rasayana, Vajikaran, Lifestyle and Metabolic disorders, Yoga etc.

The college will provide as a centre for academic activities in Ayurveda along with research and patient care facilities. A unique lifestyle modification facility is also likely to come up along with speciality treatment centre to treat Neuromuscular disorder, Psychological disorder, metabolic disorders etc. The campus will also have a herbal garden along with manufacturing unit of Ayurvedic medicines, complete with quality control unit.

The Ministry of Ayush has released Rs 139.11 crores as centre’s share to Assam till 2023-24. As many as 8 integrated Ayush hospitals have been approved by the Ministry, of which, 2 are already functional. The Ministry has also approved 500 Ayushman Arogya Mandirs, out of which, 289 are already operational. 100 new Ayush dispensaries were approved and are also being constructed, stated a press release.

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