The Kerala Industrial Infrastructure Development Corporation (Kinfra) will soon take over the operational right of Koratty-based ayurvedic resources cluster, CareKeralam, it is learnt.

According to information shared by various sources, currently the cluster, Consortium of Ayurvedic Renaissance-Keralam (CareKeralam), has no advantageous project or any worthwhile program for the Ayush industry or medicinal plant cultivators and it does not collect the produce from the medicinal plant farmers. If Kinfra takes over the control of the firm, it will invest money to develop the facilities in the cluster and make it operational.

The Rs.15 crore project CareKeralam, a joint venture between ayurvedic companies and Kerala government, was established with the financial support of the central Ayush department and government of Kerala in 2010. It was set up mainly with an objective to encourage medicinal plants and herbs not only for Ayush industry in Kerala, but also for export potential. But the cluster managers could not make it a successful operational firm. The previous Department of Ayush had given Rs.10 crore for developing the project. Government of Kerala contributed Rs.3 crore and the member companies’ share comes around Rs.2 crore.

Considering the demand of medicinal plants cultivated in Kerala and taking note of the idle status of the cluster, World Ayurveda Foundation (WAF) had showed interest in taking over the company under its control in 2016. But the government and the director board of the firm preferred to hand over the operation only to a Kerala government agency. Kinfra is a government agency to undertake developmental work within the state.

The cluster covers a modern laboratory which now conducts pre-clinical toxicological studies based on some central and state projects. One facility is used for encapsulation work for private companies and the buildings for warehousing facilities are lying closed.

A senior officer from the cluster said the health minister and the industry minister visited CareKeralam last month as part of the government’s plan to hand over power to Kinfra. He said Kinfra’s announcement on takeover will come at any time from now and everybody is waiting for that.

However, there is allegation on the part of medicinal plant cultivators that now CareKeralam is working for only to satisfy some contract manufacturers whose products are only manufactured there. The unit undertakes work of 25 E licence holders who are small in number and the state Ayush department has issued this licence only to 10 people. The cluster has no business with medicinal plants cultivation.