Lucknow, June 7 (IANS): The Central Institute of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants (CIMAP) in Lucknow will help set up herbal sanitizer manufacturing units in rural parts of the state.

The idea behind this is to generate employment for local youths.

According to CIMAP officials, the initiative was part of the aroma mission, aimed at propagating farming and use of aromatic and medicinal plants across the country.

CIMAP will also provide training regarding farming for aromatic plants to people across the country.

Experts at CIMAP had developed herbal sanitizer last year and subsequently shared the technology with a private firm with whom it has also inked a pact for mass production of herbal sanitisers.

The private firm, along with the institute, is planning to set up at least two dozen manufacturing units across the state by the year end and hopes to employ nearly 300 educated rural youths.

Manoj Semwal, principal scientist at CIMAP, said: "The plan is to provide technological help to youngsters living in village areas so that they could convert it into an employment opportunity. We will also share the expertise about the process so that they could expand their business in coming days."

He further said, "The progressive farmers from across the state who are in touch with the institute will be given a preference in the project."

CIMAP will share technological expertise while the firm will help in setting up machinery and sourcing raw material for the manufacturing plants.

The villagers who will get employment at these units can also sell the herbal plants grown in their fields to manufacturing units.

In the first phase, the firm has identified villages close to Lucknow, Kanpur, Ghaziabad, Agra and Aligarh to set up the manufacturing units.

Eight manufacturing units will be set up in the first phase and plan is to set up these units by August.