The plaque at the site. (Anirban Choudhury)

Alipurduar, Aug. 5: A herbal garden along with a research centre, conceptualised 26 years ago, is yet to see the light of day.

In 1982, 67 acres of land were acquired for the project at Tapshikhata in Alipurduar Block-I, which was a brainchild of former Bengal health minister Nani Bhattacharya. The North Bengal Development Council had also provided Rs 27 lakh for it.

Today, only the plaque of the foundation stone stands tall on the site and no one knows where the money has gone.

After the land was acquired, Uttar Banga Krishi Visyavidyalaya had conducted a survey and submitted a report to the district administration. Joachim Buxla and Nirmal Das, the MP and the MLA of Alipurduar respectively, had offered money from their development funds. Local people who had encroached upon a portion of the land were also evicted to fructify the project. But all the efforts were in vain.

B.L. Meena, the divisional commissioner of Jalpaiguri, has a different story to tell. “We had contacted the state science and technology department for an assessment of the project. The department had said in a report that marketing of the herbal plants has to be done properly to make the scheme successful. We have already fenced around the plot and will receive another Rs 27 lakh from the Centre once the project starts,” Meena said.

But in reality, no fence is in sight.

According to the president of North Bengal Ayurvedic Chikitshak O Bikreta Samiti, Tapan Bhattacharjee, many of the more than 300 herbal plants available in the area are on the verge of extinction. These should be conserved.

Initially, a hospital, a college and a manufacturing unit also figured in the project, Bhattacharjee said. “If the college and hospital can be set up, local students and people will benefit a lot. We submitted several representations to the health minister and the district magistrate of Jalpaiguri, but to no avail.”

Subroto Roy, the secretary of the Jalpaiguri district committee of the RYF, the youth wing of the RSP, said no senior officials have been taking initiative about the project.