An initiative to set up an eco-friendly Pharma City to make Telangana a hub for bulk pharmaceutical industry got off on Wednesday, when Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao and top pharma honchos inspected the open government lands in the vicinity of Mucherla village in Kandukur mandal of Rangareddy district.
The Chief Minister announced that the government would set up and maintain effluent treatment plants at the proposed Pharma City.
“It’s very unfortunate that the pharma industry has become synonymous with environmental pollution leading to stiff opposition from the public. Our plan is to use state-of-the-art technology and make it a ‘zero-liquid-discharge’ zone,” Mr Rao said. His plans for the Pharma City included establishing a pharma research institute, a pharma university and townships where those working in the pharma companies could stay.
The government’s move to involve the industry captains at the planning stage itself elicited an enthusiastic response from the representatives of Bulk Drug Manufacturers Association, who flew to Mucherla along with the Chief Minister. Speaking on behalf of the Association, Mr Satish Reddy, chairman of Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories Limited said it was a commendable initiative.
The Chief Minister told The Hindu that he expected an investment of nearly Rs 25,000 crore in the proposed Pharma City which could also provide direct employment to over 20,000 people and indirect employment to around 70,000.
