New Delhi, Sep 5 (UNI) Union Minister Jitendra Singh on Saturday reviewed North India’s first-ever Biotech Industrial Park project at Kathua, first-ever Cannabis Medicine Project with Canadian collaboration at the Indian Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine (IIIM), Jammu and other projects being set up through the Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR), Union Ministry of Science & Technology.
While reviewing the project, Dr Singh appreciated the fact that work on the Biotech Industrial Park in Kathua was carrying on, in spite of the constraints of COVID pandemic, although the pace was slow.
The Minister was informed that the deadline of the completion of the project got delayed due to COVID-related difficulties and the new deadline would possibly be around February, 2021.
Dr Singh called for conducting awareness programmes to sensitise people about the new avenues of livelihood, Startup ventures, entrepreneurship and research, which will become available, when the Biotech Park becomes functional.
Spread over an area of around 10.5 acres of land, the benefits of this Biotech Industrial Park will also be available to the neighbouring states of Punjab and Himachal Pradesh.
Referring to the first-ever Seed Processing Plant, which is almost ready at Kathua, the Minister said the Biotech Park and Seed Processing Plant would be able to supplement each other’s resources and this would be in line with the Prime Minister’s vision of doubling the farmers’ income.
The projects will promote economic development and also quality export projects, he added.
About the Canadian collaboration at Cannabis Medicine Project launched at IIIM Jammu, Dr Singh said this was the first major foreign investment in Jammu and Kashmir, after the creation of the Union Territory.
‘Special permission had to be obtained to produce the pain-relief medicine for patients suffering from cancer and diabetes using Cannabis, which is otherwise restricted for use because of the narcotic drug restrictions. The medicine prepared from this plant can be utilised even for export to other countries,’ he added.
The meeting was followed by a virtual visit to the site and inspection of the ongoing work on Biotech Park at Gatti near Kathua.
The virtual inspection tour was conducted by senior scientist from IIIM, Jammu Dr Zubair, who was also accompanied by local representatives of the area.
