Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) working president K. T. Rama Rao on Sunday wrote a letter to Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy, seeking clarification on the status of Hyderabad Pharma City project.
The former minister for industries stated that Telangana cannot afford to lose the opportunity to make the state a global hub for life sciences.
Rama Rao cautioned that government's indecision or abrupt policy shifts will only harm the state's progress and reputation.
He claimed that Pharma City was a visionary initiative by the previous BRS government that has the potential to solidify Telangana’s position as a global leader in the life sciences and pharmaceutical sectors. He said the government had embarked on a journey to develop the world’s largest integrated pharma cluster.
"Hopefully you are aware that Telangana accounts for 40 per cent of India's pharmaceutical production and is home to over 1,000 life sciences companies, with a combined ecosystem valued at $80 billion. Hyderabad also hosts the highest number of US Food and Drug Administration (USFDA)-approved pharmaceutical units globally. The Pharma City project, with a projected investment potential of $9.7 billion, was a cornerstone of our strategy to elevate this sector and generate over 5 lakh direct jobs for our people," wrote KTR, as the BRS leader is popularly known.
The BRS working president reminded the Chief Minister that after the formation of Congress government, he issued statements that his government has decided to scrap the project.
"This abrupt decision raised significant concerns, not only for the investors who have shown immense interest but also for the lakhs of people who stood to benefit from the opportunities Pharma City would create. It is also troubling to see this decision being taken without any clear roadmap or consultation with the farmers and local communities who contributed their land for this purpose," said KTR.
"Given the recent High Court directive, we seek urgent clarity on your stance regarding Pharma City. The court's intervention has made it clear that land acquired for Pharma City cannot be repurposed for other ventures," he added.
He demanded that if the government intends to continue with the project, it should be executed in its full capacity as initially envisioned, without any scaling down or dilution of its scope.
"If you choose not to proceed with Pharma City in its original form, we request that the land pooled for this purpose be returned to the farmers in line with the provisions of the Land Acquisition Act, 2013," he said.
