Jamshedpur, May 26: Ghatshila in East Singhbhum might soon become the hub for marketing medicinal herbs. The state forest and environment ministry plans to set up an ambitious herbal gardening project there.

According to forest department sources, a plot spread over 10 km has been earmarked at Ghatshila for the cultivation of rare species of plants and for setting up a training centre — the Jharkhand Herbal Garden Training Centre — estimated at Rs 4 lakh.

The decision to set up the herbal garden and the training centre was taken at a meeting of senior forest officials that took place in the capital recently. The meeting was presided over by state forest and environment minister Yamuna Singh.

Terming the project “ambitious and job-oriented”, forest officials of Chaibasa territorial division said the project would provide training facilities to villagers residing on the periphery of Saranda, Porhat and Kolhan.

“Ghatshila has been earmarked for the project because of the availability of land and its proximity to Saranda, Porhat and Kolhan,” said a forest official.

When contacted, Yamuna Singh said a committee comprising divisional forest officers is being constituted to look after the activities of the herbal garden and the training institute.

According to him, the department is trying to grow a wide variety of herbal plants, including Safed Musli, Aloe Vera, Sarpgandha, Kalmegh, Ghritkumari and Anantmul, which have great medicinal value.

“We are trying to acquire herbal plants and expertise in herbal gardening from the Lucknow-based Central Aromatic and Plant Research Institute and Agro-Horticulture Society of India, Alipore,” said Singh, adding that once the project is successfully implemented, it will take up marketing activities.

Underlining the objective of the project, Singh said it would help generate more employment opportunities for villagers residing on forest land.