BIODIVERSITY: Exploration of forests causing depletion of Himalayan medicinal wealth!

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PTI / The Hindu / NEW DELHI, June 30, 2011.

North-western Himalayan region with its wide range of altitudes, topography and climatic conditions, is a rich repository of medicinal wealth - The Hindu.

Developmental pressure on forests and their unscrupulous exploitation have caused “severe depletion” of Himalayan medicinal wealth, a government report said and warned that the situation would go worse if corrective steps are not taken.

A report submitted to the Environment Ministry also said encouraging commercial cultivation is vital for the success of medicinal plants sector to meet the ever growing demand for “temperate medicinal plants”.

This medicinal wealth, which occupies an important place in Vedic treatise, has been depleting continuously for the last two decades in their natural habitat, said the report by the Himalayan Forest Research Institute (HFRI), adding that the depletion of medicinal plants resource base is affecting the health and livelihood options of the people.

It doesn't appear our moneybags have no qualms of making money out of pristine natural settings also!

Full Story at,

http://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/energy-and-environment/article2147684.ece

Flip-Flop Ramdev: 'Nature of donations Baba receives has to be probed'!

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Last updated on: June 3, 2011 08:18 IST / Rediff.com.

Baba Ramdev speaks duirng a yoga camp in Haridwar / Reuters.

Perhaps, a comment by Uttarakhand Congress MLA Kishore Updhyaya best describes his dizzying rise.

"Just years ago, he had just one bicycle. Today, the man has crores of rupees. Where did they originate from? It has to be investigated," Upadhyaya told rediff.com.

The baba, who claims to have solutions for everything -- from AIDS to cancer to the 'disease' called homosexuality -- allegedly received crores in the form of donations. And the nature of these donations has been questioned by several leaders.

That way no baba has every born with a silver spoon in his mouth and everyone has amassed massive wealths.

They start trust under Societies act., as not-for-profit entities, obtain income tax exemption and start accepting donations.  While the purely commercial activities like selling medicines also they evade taxes, pay below legal wages to their workers, do not give any statutory benefits like PF, ESI, Gratuity, Leaves as per labour laws, etc. and continue to profiteer in the name of religions.  Some of them even entered big-time real-estate ventures.

Do you want more clues?

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