Industry opposes plan to shift Pharma Park out of Lucknow

LUCKNOW Even as the state government plans to shift the mega Pharma Park project outside Lucknow due to scarcity of land, the pharmaceutical industry is opposing the move citing various reasons.

Earlier slated for Lucknow, the project might now be relocated to Bundelkhand or Pilibhit. Around 1,000 acres of land is required for the project, say experts.MSME minister Siddharth Nath Singh had said at a webinar recently that due to scarcity of land in Lucknow, the project might be shifted to Pilibhit or Bundelkhand

The pharma lobby is against shifting of the project from the state capital, saying there are research facilities at the SGPGI, KGMU and the four major research institutes of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) that will help in testing of medicines.

All these are an integral part of the Pharma Park project.

After the Covid -19 pandemic, the Modi government has put the Pharma Park project on the fast track. The Centre has approved three Pharma Parks across the country and has allocated Rs 1,000 crore each to them.

Respective state governments will provide land and other logistics for the project. The Uttar Pradesh government has bagged one Pharma Park. The Modi government has already allocated mega Defence Corridor project to Budelkhand region of Uttar Pradesh.

Every year, medicines worth Rs 40,000 crore are sold in the state and of this, around 17 per cent consumption is in the state capital. The state’s biggest medicine market is in the state capital which caters to entire eastern Uttar Pradesh.

The pharmaceutical lobby is pressing hard for setting up the project in the state capital, dismissing the fact that there is scarcity of land.“Around 60 acres of land of the Uttar Pradesh Drugs and Pharmaceuticals Company Limited (UPDPL) and 40 acres of land of Kalyan Vibhag is lying vacant in Amausi,” said Prashant Bhatia, chairman, Uttar Pradesh Drug Manufacturers’ Association, a body of the pharmaceutical industry.

“Lucknow has top medical and research institutes like the KGMU, SGPGI and Ram Manohar Lohia Institute along with four research institutes of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), including CDRI, CMAP, NBRI and IITR. Clinical trial of drugs can also be easily conducted in Lucknow,” said Prashant Bhatia.

“Major chunk of the land in Pharma Park is required for research institutes. They already exist in Lucknow,” he added.

In addition to this, Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar University also had a pharmacy department, he said. Lucknow also has an office of Food and Drug Administration (FDA) which ensures quality of drugs.

The pharma industry has often demanded a Pharma Park in Lucknow as it is easily accessible from all parts of the country.

The state capital has road connectivity with other parts of the state and also has an international airport making is easily approachable for international traders.However, Hari Mohan Bansal, chairman, Bundelkhand Chamber of Commerce and Industry, has welcomed the state government’s initiative.

“Bundelkhand needs more industries. If the region gets Pharma Park then it will be an added advantage with the Defence Corridor,” he said.

“We are also trying to get the Pharma Park project for Bundelkhand region,” Bansal said.

After the Defence Corridor project, the Pharma Park will be the second big project for the Yogi government.

Anurag Sharma, BJP MP from Jhansi, has identified 1,800 acres of land in Lalitpur for the Pharma Park.Lalitpur is an assembly segment in Jhansi Parliamentary constituency.

“Around 1,600 acres of land is required for the Pharma Park and that too outside populated areas. In Lalitpur, we have around 1,800 acres of land in one place far from human population,” said Anurag Sharma.

“When I came to know that the government needs 1,600 acres of land for the Pharma Park, I took up the issue with the state government. I have also written a letter to the government for setting up Pharma Park in Lalitpur,” Sharma added.

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THE CENTRE HAS APPROVED THREE PHARMA PARKS ACROSS THE COUNTRY AND HAS ALLOCATED RS 1,000 CRORE EACH TO THEM.