Parliament Question: Promotion of Traditional Medicine Systems under NAM

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF AYUSH LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.1068 TO BE ANSWERED ON 24.07.2026 Promotion of Traditional Medicine Systems under NAM 1068. Shri Raju Bista: Will the Minister of AYUSH be pleased to state: (a) the total amount of funds allocated, released and utilised for the promotion of traditional medicine systems under the National AYUSH Mission (NAM) during the last five years in the district of North Bengal; (b) the operational status and district-wise distribution of AYUSH Health and Wellness Centres (AHWCs) in West Bengal; and (c) the steps being taken by the Government to address infrastructural bottlenecks in the hilly areas of Darjeeling and Kalimpong districts of West Bengal? ANSWER THE MINISTER OF STATE (IC) OF THE MINISTRY OF AYUSH (SHRI PRATAPRAO JADHAV) (a) Under National Ayush Mission (NAM), as per the proposals received from the State through State Annual Action Plans (SAAPs), an amount of Rs. 9997.86 lakhs has been allocated/ released as Central Share to State of West Bengal for the promotion of traditional medicine systems during the last five years. The State Government has reported an expenditure of Rs. 9009.68 lakh against this allocation. However, under NAM there is no provision for district-wise fund allocation. (b) As per the proposals received through SAAPs, 540 units of Ayush Health & Wellness Centres (AHWCs) now renamed as Ayushman Arogya Mandir (Ayush) [AAM (Ayush)] have been operationalised in West Bengal. The operational status and district-wise distribution of AAM (Ayush) in West Bengal is enclosed as Annexure. 1(c) Public Health being a State subject, the primary responsibility to address infrastructural bottlenecks in the hilly areas including Darjeeling and Kalimpong districts of West Bengal comes under the purview of respective State Government. As reported by State Government of West Bengal, enhanced funds for infrastructural developments in the Hilly Terrain of these districts are being provided from NAM fund and any shortfall in funds is supplemented through allocations from the State Budget of West Bengal Government. Further, 27 AAM (Ayush) are functional in Darjeeling and Kalimpong districts and providing holistic health care to the community based on Ayush principles & practises. As reported by State, Ayush Public Health Programme namely National Programme for Prevention and Control of Cancer, Diabetes, Cardiovascular Diseases and Stroke (NPCDCS) has already been made functional and 07 such centres are located at Darjeeling District co-located at Darjeeling District Hospital, Bijanbari Rural Hospital (RH), Mirik Block Primary Health Centre (BPHC), Sukna BPHC, Kharibari R H, Nakshalbari RH & Phansidewoa RH. ***** 2Annexure Operational status and district-wise distribution of AAM (Ayush) Units in West Bengal Sl. No. Name of District No. of AAM Operational (Ayush) Status 1 Alipurduar 15 Functional 2 Bankura 20 Functional 3 Bishnupur HD 11 Functional 4 Birbhum 29 Functional 5 Rampurhat HD 12 Functional 6 Cooch Behar 30 Functional 7 Dakshin Dinajpur 15 Functional 8 Darjeeling 21 Functional 9 Hooghly 40 Functional 10 Howrah 34 Functional 11 Jalpaiguri 21 Functional 12 Jhargram 10 Functional 13 Kalimpong 6 Functional 14 Malda 34 Functional 15 Murshidabad 35 Functional 16 Nadia 31 Functional 17 North 24 Parganas 8 Functional 18 Basirhat HD 7 Functional 19 Paschim Bardhaman 14 Functional 20 Paschim Medinipur 21 Functional 21 PurbaBardhaman 30 Functional 22 PurbaMedinipur 17 Functional 23 Nandigram HD 6 Functional 24 Purulia 41 Functional 25 South 24 Parganas 11 Functional 26 Diamond Harbour HD 8 Functional 27 Uttar Dinajpur 13 Functional Total 540 3