Three and a half years after an announcement was made here for establishment of the National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (NIPER) in recognition of Visakhapatnam turning into a pharma hub, Union Minister for Fertilizers and Chemicals D. V. Sadananda Gowda said that they would sanction the premier unit if the State government made a formal proposal with land sanction details.
The Minister made the promise in New Delhi on Thursday when a team led by BJP Mahila Morcha in-charge and former Union Minister Daggubati Purendeswari and Vizag Development Council vice-president O. Naresh Kumar submitted a representation to him.
Mr. Sadanand Gowda said the Centre would definitely approve the project if the State government sent a request letter with land sanction details. NIPER is the first national-level institute in pharmaceutical sciences with a proclaimed objective of becoming a centre of excellence for advanced studies and research. The Centre has declared NIPER an institute of national importance.
ADVERTISEMENT
Coordination issues
During the first CII Partnership Summit held here in January 2016, H.D. Ananth Kumar, then Minister for Fertilizer and Chemicals, had promised establishment of NIPER in the city in an area of 100 acres with an investment of ₹100 crore.
“Though the project was announced then, subsequently due to lack of coordination it remained in cold storage,” Mr. Naresh Kumar pointed out.
ADVERTISEMENT
The State government had identified land at Sabbavaram for the project but there was no significant progress in allotment.
Viskahapatnam and Srikakulam have several pharma clusters at Parawada, Nakkapalli, Ranasthalam and Pydibhimavaram. There is also a demand for development of second pharma city as Jawaharlal Nehru Pharma City at Parawada has no space for further allotment.