Centre grants approval to bulk drug park at Haroli in Una district

Tribune News Service

Shimla, August 31

The Union Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilisers has finally granted in-principle approval for providing grant-in-aid for a bulk drug park proposed at Haroli in Una district.

This will give a major boost to the state’s pharma sector which accounts for 40 per cent of nation’s drug formulations. Annual demand of bulk drugs in the state is about Rs 30,000 to Rs 35,000 crore.

Guarantees can’t save Cong: Thakur

The Congress is a sinking ship. No amount of announcements can help it. When there is no guarantee of the Congress itself, what can I say about its announcements. It has been wiped out from the country. It has no future in Himachal or elsewhere in the country. Jai Ram Thakur, Chief Minister

Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur today said that the setting up of the Bulk Drug Pharma park at Una would help reduce India’s dependency on China for raw material for producing various drugs.

1,405 acres needed

Rs 1,190 cr projects cost

Rs 1,000 cr grant-in-aid from Centre

Rs 190 cr state’s share

Rs 50,000 cr investment park will attract

20,000 jobs to be generated

10,000 indirect jobs

Thakur, while addressing mediapersons here, said ever since the BJP came to power at the Centre, Himachal always got special preference in all development projects. “There is almost 100 per cent dependence on China for raw material required for producing erythromycin and norfloxin, 95 per cent for producing tetracycline and 68 per cent for making betadine B 12 drugs. So, setting up of a drug park will help reduce dependence on China,” he added.

He said that the government had made serious efforts for the bulk drug pharma park, as Baddi was the biggest pharma hub in Asia. “Be it during the regime of Atal Bihari Vajpayee or now when Narendra Modi is Prime Minister, Himachal has always got priority in grant of mega projects,” he added.

Thakur said that land had already been acquired for the project. Hopefully, the work was expected to begin shortly once all other clearances are obtained, he added.

He said the pharma park would attract Rs 50,000 crore investment, besides creating employment for 20,000 people and 10,000 indirect jobs. “In evaluation by the Centre, Himachal was placed at number one when bids for three bulk drug pharma projects were invited. The approval was granted primarily due to the fact that we had spelt out several incentives like Rs 3 per unit rate of power for 10 years, zero maintenance charges for 10 years, exemption in stamp duty and 70 per cent exemption in the SGST for 10 years,” he added.

Thakur said 1,405 acres would be required for the project, including 1,366 acres of the government and 39 acres belonging to private parties. The total projects cost would be Rs 1,190 crore. The Central government would provide grant-in-aid of Rs 1,000 crore while the state government would provide Rs 190 crore.

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