CM lauds efforts of CSIR-IHBT

Our Correspondent

Palampur, July 4

In the wake of the CSIR-IHBT foundation week, Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur today addressed the employees through videoconferencing. He conveyed his best wishes to the institute for its 38th foundation week celebrations and congratulated it for conducting need-based research work, incubating entrepreneurship and setting up start-ups.

The Chief Minister thanked the institute for setting up a Covid-19 testing lab, supporting the medical colleges at Tanda, Chamba and Hamirpur by way of providing the required instruments, consumables and training of their staff for Covid-19 testing and for the production of hand sanitizers, herbal soaps and ready-to-eat food through entrepreneurs.

He said the research of the CSIR-IHBT on the introduction of novel crops for different agro-climate zones such as heeng and saffron in the state was a welcome step. Similarly, innovative ways to grow and utilise bamboo for the development of industrial products like wooden board, textile yarn, etc. is good initiative, he said. “Realising the initiative and strength of the CSIR-IHBT in taking leads on heeng and saffron, the government has made announcement in the Budget speech to grow these high value spices in the state with financial allocation of a sum of Rs 9.50 crore,” said Thakur.

Earlier, Dr Sanjay Kumar, Director, CSIR-IHBT, presented the salient achievements of the institute which included potential bio-resources for generating bio-economy like medicinal plants, aromatic plants, fruit crops, floriculture, microbes etc, collaboration with Ministry of MSME to generate sustainable livelihood for the rural population, nurturing entrepreneurship and start-ups, skill development etc.

He informed that among 38 CSIR labs, the CSIR-IHBT had been ranked at the ninth position by SCImago Institutional rating. He said NITI Aayog had approved this institute as a member of the Indian Himalayan Central Universities Consortium.