Alipurduar, Jan. 13: The state government has sanctioned Rs 9 crore for an Ayush hospital in Alipurduar district, the minister of state of Ayush branch of department of health and family welfare said today.

Minister Ashish Banerjee, who visited the hospital site at Tapshikhata nera here today, said the construction was likely to start in mid-February.

"A couple of months back, chief minister Mamata Banerjee had declared that an Ayush hospital would be built at Tapshikhata in Alipurduar-I block. She had instructed me to visit the site. This morning, I went to the area, along with Mohon Sharma, the sabhadhipati of Alipurduar zilla parishad, and Sourav Chakroborty, the president of Alipurduar district committee of Trinamul. We have sanctioned Rs 9 crore for the hospital building. It would come up on a 25 acre plot," Banerjee said.

Once completed, it would be the first Ayush hospital in north Bengal.

Banerjee said there would be quarters for the doctors and hospital staff members on the campus. "We have a plan to make a garden of medicinal plants as well," he added.

"We have floated tenders for the work and we hope that the project will start in February. There will be an indoor ward for herbal department, another for homeopathy and a ward for yoga. We will set up a farm for production of herbal medicines. Once the construction starts, I hope it would be completed in four to six months," Banerjee said.

According to the minister, some more land would be needed to construct an approach road to the hospital, which would be 250m long and 30ft wide. But a portion of that land has been encroached on.

"I have spoken to the sabhadhipati of Alipurduar zilla parishad and he has been given the charge to vacate the land as the zilla parishad will construct the road," Banerjee said.