Himachal CM Interacts with Pharma Industries through video conferencing

Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur while interacting with the members of CII Northern Region Committee on Life Science and Biotech/Pharma Industry through video conferencing from Shimla today thanked the industrialists, particularly the Pharma industry to provide their wholehearted support t the State Government to effectively fight the COVID-19 pandemic.

Jai Ram Thakur said that the State Government has also extended its full support to the pharma industry of the State to ensure that its production goes uninterrupted.

He said that the State Government not only provided all possible help to the industry but also ensured the smooth movement of the workers in the area. He said that today over 90 percent of pharma has started its production and was catering to the health care need of not only of domestic consumers but the hydroxychloroquine manufacture by pharma industries at Baddi was being supplied to the United States as well.

Chief Minister said that State Government was contemplating creating such infrastructure in the Baddi-Barotiwala area of Solan district where workers working in various industries could be accommodated in the event of emergent situations. He said that the safety of the people was the utmost priority of the Government.  He said that basic infrastructure in the Baddi-Barotiwala and Nalagarh industrial area would be strengthened to facilitate the industrialists as well as workers.

 He also urged the industrialists to donate liberally towards the PM CARES and HP SDMA COVID-19 State Disaster Response Fund which will go a long way in fighting the coronavirus effectively.

Jai Ram Thakur said that due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the State Government had put restrictions on inter-State movement in the Baddi-Barotiwala area but now the State Government had decided to give relaxation in it and allow free movement with few restrictions to the workers working in the industrialist’s units coming for Tri-City.

Chief Minister said that the State has emerged as an important hub for the manufacturing of bulk drugs and generics and captured a major portion of the market within the country and outside. He said that he also urged the Union Government to establish a Bulk Drug Park in the State preferably in the Baddi-Barotiwala area of Solan district which was already a pharma hub. He said that various Pharma Units of the area have also shown interest in establishing a Bulk Drug Park in the State.

He said that he have also urged the Union Government to relax the land criteria for the State keeping in view the topography of Himachal Pradesh.

Jai Ram Thakur said that if such Bulk Drug Park was allotted for Himachal Pradesh, the State would surely emerge as the most prominent hub of production of Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (APIs) and Drug Intermediates in the country catering to the needs of drug industry both nationally and internationally.

Chief Minister said that the Union Government has announced a beneficial scheme for promotion of domestic manufacturing of critical Key Starting Material/Drug Intermediates and Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (APIs) in the country.  He said that this scheme proposed by the Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers would enable the Indian Pharmaceutical Industries to attain global competitiveness, self-reliance, and adaptation of state of the art technologies in manufacturing vital drugs and chemicals.

Jai Ram Thakur said that the genuine demands of the industrialists would be considered sympathetically.

Chairman CII Northern Regional Committee on Life Sciences and BioTech Dr. Dinesh Dua thanked the Chief Minister and raised various issues of the industrialists.

Co-Chairman of the Committee B.R. Sikri, Senior Director Global Corporate Affairs, Abhoot Healthcare Rakesh Chitkara, Head Corporate Affairs CIPLA, Adil Islam, and Plant Head Glenmark Pharmaceutical Sunil also shared their views on the occasion.

Industries Minister Bikram Thakur, Chief Secretary Anil Khachi, Additional Chief Secretary Industries Manoj Kumar, Additional Chief Secretary Health R.D. Dhiman, Principal Secretary to Chief Minister Sanjay Kundu, Director Industries Hansraj Sharma was also present on the occasion among others.

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