Cloud over bulk drug park project as CM Sukhu sets-out ‘terms & conditions’

SHIMLA: The Rs 1923 crore bulk drug park, one of three sanctioned by the Centre in the country, seems to have started facing rough weather because of delays in granting various sanctions even as Himachal Chief Minister Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu said the government will implement the project on its own terms without ‘comprising’ state’s interests.

The issue figured in the state Assembly on Wednesday when Opposition BJP accused the Congress government of inordinate delays in granting sanctions to one of the country’s ambitious industrial projects which was granted to Himachal Pradesh through bidding process.

Replying to the issue, Industries minister Harshvardhan Chauhan said the government was moving ahead on the project maintaining full transparency in granting approvals, which require a lot of formalities and uniformities with two other bulk drug parks coming-up in Gujarat and Andhra Pradesh.

A team of officials from the industries department was also sent to Andhra Pradesh to study implementation of the project there. The government will execute the project on PPP mode, which is a viable option as the government can’t execute the project of this scale on its own.

The minister said it requires global tendering and some of the matters involved are highly technical in nature. He even admitted that delay in its execution will not be in favour of the state as investors may prefer other two destinations having ports.

He said all guidelines granted by the Centre and also monitored by the Central agencies will be adhered. There is no scope of any deviation or compromise with the norms and award of the works like land development and engaging consultant.

Chief Minister Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu, present in the state Assembly, intervened to convey that the earlier government had sacrificed the interests of the state in offering several concessions to the prospective investors which will not be allowed.

CM Sukhu cornered the former BJP government over the land given on lease of Rs 1 to both the parks, and the ten-year exemption in GST, beside few other conditions offered by the earlier BJP government. He accused the previous Jairam government of selling the interests of Himachal.

“The government is keen to establish the park and also medical device park but on its own terms and conditions. We will see that interests of the state are fully protracted and no undue concessions are given to private investors,” he said.