After witnessing severe protests from SC and ST farmers in his own constituency against the proposed Pharma Village, Chief Minister Revanth Reddy has reportedly backed down on the proposal of Pharma Villages. Now he seems to be scared that people are angry with the very word `Pharma’.
The previous BRS government had decided to set up a General Engineering Park in the Pharma City in Mucherla area of Ranga Reddy district, and later to set up a Pharma Village there. The Congress government, which decided to set up 10 Pharma Villages all over the state instead of Pharma City, initially issued a notification to set them up in Vikarabad and Zaheerabad areas.
However, the government backed down after facing strong resistance from the public against the acquisition of land for Pharma Village in Lagacharla in that district. It has announced that an industrial corridor will be set up in place of Pharma Village there.
In Zaheerabad too, as there is strong public opposition to the Pharma Village, officials have collected opinions from farmers at the field level to ensure that incidents like the Lagacharla farmers’ revolt do not occur there. It is reported that the government has been informed that there is a possibility of people revolting there too if force is used for land acquisition.
With this, it is learnt from reliable sources that the Congress government has come to a decision that it is better to utilize the existing opportunities than to increase public opposition further. Permission for non-polluting industries first TGIIC has already prepared the layout to set up a General Industrial Park in place of the Pharmacy.
It is learnt that it has been decided to allow non-polluting pharmaceutical companies along with general industries there first. Formulations and bulk drugs manufacturing departments are very crucial in the pharmaceutical industry.
Since these are polluting, Revanth Reddy is reportedly thinking of setting up chemical purification plants first and only then giving the green signal to pharmaceutical industries. If this is done, it can be said that the defunct pharmacity will have a chance to survive again.
