Inaugurated six distillation units under CSIR-IIIM for lavender situated at six different places

Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Ministry of Science and Technology; Minister of State (Independent Charge) Ministry of Earth Science; MoS of Prime Minister’s Office and Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr Jitendra Singh said that Bhaderwah is the potential destination of agri-tech startups of the country.

After inaugurating the country’s first ‘Lavender Festival’ Bhaderwah, the Union Minister described Bhaderwah as the birthplace of India’s Purple Revolution.

“The country’s first National Institute of High Altitude Medicine is being built in Bhaderwah which will attract scholars and researchers not only from India but across the globe generating employment opportunities for the region. The establishment of this institute is proof of developmental initiatives reaching far-flung places at an unprecedented rate compared to the last seventy years,” Dr Singh added.

Referring to the lavender cultivation in the region, Dr Singh said that Lavender is an avenue of employment generation and research opening many paradigms of development for the region. He further said that the agriculturist Bharat Bhushan called the Brand Ambassador of Purple Revolution in India is an inspiration for youth in Jammu and Kashmir toward Start-up culture.

Dr Singh said that under lavender cultivation, potential farmers’ income has not only been doubled but quadrupled.

Dr Singh also inaugurated six distillation units under CSIR-IIIM for lavender situated at six different places. Three MoUs were also signed between CSIR-IIIM Jammu with Agro Voltic Power, Mussoorie Uttarakhand, Lyallpur Khalsa College, Jalandhar Punjab and Fine Fragrance Power, Mumbai.

Dr DS Reddy, Director CSIR-IIIM Jammu, Dhanenter Singh, DDC Chairperson, Doda, Sangeeta Bhagat, Vice-Chairperson DDC Doda, Dr Sumit Garola, Nodal Scientist CSIR besides scientists and potential farmers cultivating lavender were present during the festival. Many industrialists and potential farmers were felicitated during the lavender festival.