Environment nod for Haroli Bulk Drug Park likely in a fortnight
It has been more than two years since Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone of the bulk drug park in Una district on October 22, 2022, but the mega investment project is yet to take roots.
Initially, the state government was looking for a private partner for the construction of the bulk drug park. However, it had now decided to invest directly in the project. Director, Industries, Yonus said that the state government was expediting the project. The state government was waiting for environment clearance for the project from the Union Ministry of Environment and Forest. The environment clearance was likely to be received within a fortnight, he added.
The Central Government had allotted three bulk drug parks in Himachal, Gujarat and Andhra Pradesh. In Himachal, the project was envisaged to come up on the land earmarked for the project in the Haroli Assembly constituency in Una district. It was slated to attract an investment of Rs 10,000 crore and provide employment to about 50,000 people.
Sources said that the Central Government had provided Rs 250 crore as the first instalment for the project while the state government had released Rs 50 crore for it. The total cost of the project has been pegged at about Rs 1,900 crore. The Central Government would give about Rs 900 crore to the state government for the project.
The Industries Department has already started the work for floating tenders for the drug park. As soon as the environment clearance for the project is received, tenders will be awarded so that the ground work can start.
The Director, Industries, said that the state government had already released Rs 50 crore for the project and committed another Rs 50 crore in the current financial year. The department had enough funds for starting scheduled works for the drug park.
The sources said that the Industries Department had transferred Rs 11 crore to the Jal Shakti Department for setting up water supply schemes for the project. Money had been transferred to Himachal Pradesh State Electricity Board Ltd. for making arrangements of 15 MW dedicated power supply to the project. The company formed for implementing the project would set up an office in the Bathu area of Una district.
