Raju Bista plans to transform cinchona plantations in Darjeeling to medicinal plants hub

My vision is to transform the entire cinchona plantations into a hub of medicinal plants, alternative medicines, Sowa Rigpa, ayurveda and naturopathy: Bista.

PRASHANT ACHARYA & RAJESH SHARMA, EOI, SILIGURI / JAIGAON, APRIL 13 2024 : Campaigning at Mungpoo valley on Saturday for the coming Lok Sabha elections, BJP candidate of Darjeeling unfolded a dream of transforming the entire cinchona plantation belt in the hills into a hub of medicinal plants,

“My vision is to transform the entire cinchona plantations into a hub of medicinal plants, alternative medicines, Sowa Rigpa, ayurveda and naturopathy. I want to tie this up with the broader vision of developing our Darjeeling region as a hub of medical tourism,” he said.

“We will assist the people in developing horticulture, agriculture and floriculture in the region. We will assist the people in developing homestays, farm stays, and develop rural tourism infrastructure. 

In view of our strategic location, if we create good healthcare facilities here, we can attract large numbers of medical patients from Nepal, Bhutan and Bangladesh, along with Assam and Bihar,” the BJP candidate who is also the sitting Darjeeling M.P. said

“I also have a vision of setting up a Central Institution in Mungpoo since it is centrally located,  and a centre of Krishi Vigyan Kendra here, so that our farmers can benefit. This way we can createmassive opportunities for thousands of our youths to be employed here itself.

”He said the entire cinchona belt, consisting of Mungpoo along with Sitong-Latpanchar, Munsong, and Rongo had been one of the largest employment generating sectors in our hills; after tea garden "

Over the years, absolute apathy and neglect by the Trinamool Congress government has brought our cinchona gardens on the verge of shutting down. Trinamool Congress is a visionless party that is least bothered about reviving the cinchona plantation.”

Along with ensuring a constitutional solution to the political aspirations of the hills, the Centre under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi would work to ensure parjapatta rights of the cinchona garden and tea garden workers; and also increasing their daily wages, Bista said