CHANDIGARH: Punjab cabinet which met here Wednesday under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal has granted its approval to the setting up of Ayurvedic University in the State.

An official spokesmna said that the University would be located in the foot- hills of the Shivalik range in Hoshiarpur district known for its rich and exotic fauna and flora. The district had been chosen since its soil is congenial for the growth of herbal medicine parks which were supplementary and complementary for the promotion of Ayush in Punjab. The need for this university which would be only the 3rd in the world of its kind was felt in view of the growing awareness of alternative system of medicine to promote Ayush which covered Yoga & Naturopathy, Unani Siddha and Homoeopathy apart from Ayurveda which were earlier popular in large number of states of our country have now caught global imagination with many countries of Asian, European and American continents evincing deep interest in these. With growing popularity and wide acceptability of Ayurvedic and Yoga, India had now become a major medical Tourism Center for international tourists as a sizable chunk of Medical Tourists prefered Ayurvedic medicinal treatment as a traditional health care system.
               
The Cabinet also approved the Punjab Protection of Medicare Service Persons and Medicare Service Institutions (Prevention of Violence and Damage to Property) Bill 2008 to be placed in the coming session of Vidhan Sabha for its enactment providing for punishment to offenders who indulged in violence against Medicare Service Persons or damage the property in Medical Service Institutions etc.

 It may be recalled that Chief Minister's Media Advisor  Harcharan Bains gave an assurance to this effect on behalf of the Chief Minister to a deputation of striking doctors including office bearers of the Indian Medical Association, Punjab to bring this legislation on the pattern of Andhra Pradesh to safeguard the interests of the medical fraternity.   

Bains also disclosed that the Cabinet also placed on record its appreciation for Badal for commencement of work on Punjab's ever biggest 1980 MW Thermal Power Plant at Banawali (Talwandi Sabo) as a major step towards ushering in an era of power revolution on one hand and making Punjab a 'Power Surplus State' on the other.  The cabinet also commended the officers and officials of the state government and Punjab State Electricity Board for the timely initiation of this prestigious project and expressed gratitude to the people of Punjab who attended the function of the historic launch of this project in teeming lacs.

The Cabinet also gave its nod for the conversion of the Punjab Value Added Tax (Amendment) Ordinance, 2008 into an act through presentation of the bill in the forthcoming session of the Punjab Assembly. Likewise, the cabinet also gave approval for amending Section 13 of the Punjab Value Added Tax Act, 2005 regarding provision for input tax credit through presentation of a Bill in the coming session of Punjab Vidhan Sabha.