A year on, work on Una bulk drug park project yet to start

Dharamsala, November 8

The work on the bulk drug park project at Haroli in Una district is yet to start even after more than a year since Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid its foundation stone.

The Central Government had allotted three bulk drug parks to Himachal, Gujarat and Andhra Pradesh. In Himachal, the project was to attract an investment of Rs 10,000 crore and provide employment to 50,000 people.

To cost Rs 1,900 cr

• The Central Government has given Rs 250 crore as the first instalment for the bulk drug park project.
• The total cost of the project has been pegged at Rs 1,900 crore
• The Centre will provide about Rs 900 crore to the state for the project

Sources said that the Central Government had given Rs 250 crore as the first instalment for the project. The total cost of the project had been pegged at about Rs 1,900 crore. The Central Government would contribute about Rs 900 crore to the state government. For the remaining investment, the state government is looking for a private investor.

Director, Industries, Rakesh Prajapati said that Himachal was ahead of Gujarat and Andhra Pradesh in terms of implementation of the project. “We have submitted the case to the Forest Department for the transfer of land allocated to the project in the name of a company formed for its implementation. The permission of the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests is expected soon,” he added.

He said that the government was in the process of transferring Rs 11 crore sought by the Jal Shakti Department for laying water supply schemes for the project. Money had been transferred to Himachal Pradesh State Electricity Board Ltd for making the arrangement of 15 MW dedicated power supply for the project. Though the power demand for the drug park project would be about 100 MW in the initial phase, arrangements were being made for the supply of 15 MW. The company formed for the implementation of the project would soon set up its office at Bathu in Una district.

Prajapati said the ground level work on the project was likely to start in January next year. He added that the consultant had submitted its report on a private partner for the project. It would be sent to the Cabinet for approval after which a global tender would be floated for finding the private investor, he added.