Hyderabad: Stating that Central Government was putting the interests of the country at risk by continuing its discrimination towards Telangana and not sanctioning a Bulk Drug Park (BDP), Industries Minister KT Rama Rao demanded the BJP Government allot the BDP to the State. Hyderabad Pharma City was most suitable for setting up a BDP with international standards. The Central Government had deliberately ignored the Hyderabad Pharma City, which had obtained the environmental clearances and had completed land acquisition, he said.
The Minister wrote a letter to union Minister of Chemicals and Fertilizers Mansukh Mandaviya on Friday pointing out the grave injustice meted out to Telangana in the allotment of BDP. He expressed dissatisfaction that Hyderabad, which emerged as the life sciences capital of the country and the vaccine capital of the world, was neglected by the Central Government. The Minister said the selection of Andhra Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, and Gujarat for the establishment of BDP was an example of the Central Government’s discriminatory politics.
The Central Government’s discrimination towards Telangana was exposed yet again as it did not even bother to inspect the Hyderabad Pharma City before shortlisting areas for allotment of BDPs, he lashed out at the BJP Government. “For few political gains, national interests should not be compromised. Under Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao’s leadership, Telangana was developing the pharma city with international standards and the Centre should extend its support by allotting BDP” said Rama Rao.
Considering the volatility in world politics, the Central Government in 2015 stressed the need to set BDPs, especially with the pharma sector importing 70 percent of its raw materials from China. The BJP Government had grand plans for ensuring self-sufficiency of the pharma sector in the country through BDPs but there was inordinate delay in the execution of the plans, he explained.
After much delay, a formal announcement was made in 2020 regarding the setting up of BDPs. Since then, Telangana Government has made many appeals to the Central Government, besides submitting proposals to the Department of Pharmaceuticals to consider Hyderabad Pharma City for establishing the park as 2000 acres were earmarked for the purpose, the Minister said.
However, it had allocated the BDPs to areas, which would take at least four years to set things on track for the BDP and commence operations. On the contrary, once allotted to Hyderabad, the BDP would commence the works instantly, he assured.
In fact the Central Government had identified Hyderabad Pharma City as a nationally significant and priority project. Considering all these factors, the Central Government should allot BDP to Telangana, failing which apart from the State, the entire country would suffer huge losses due to the illogical decisions taken by the BJP Government, he added.
