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The Jawaharlal Nehru Pharma City project at Parawada in Visakhapatnam district, developed by Ramky on land allotted by the State Government, has not made the kind of progress projected initially and is also plagued with other problems such as pollution.
The project was first conceived in 2004 when the Telugu Desam Party was in power and land was acquired at Rs 4 lakh an acre by the Andhra Pradesh Industrial Infrastructure Corporation (APIIC) and 2,120 acres of land was allotted to the developer, Ramky, and a special economic zone (SEZ) was also notified.
It was projected that within five years or so the pharma city would be fully functional with common effluent treatment plant, but it has not happened yet, even though a few units have started operations.
Recession
Sources said that more than a hundred companies have been allotted lands in the pharma city, but many of them have not stared operations.
Global recession is also said to be one of the reasons for the slow progress. There are also complaints of pollution caused by the pharma city.
The district administration as well as the AP Pollution Control Board have issued instructions to the pharma city authorities to take requisite measures for pollution control.
The public in the vicinity such as Tadi are very unhappy with the project. They complain that they have not got the promised jobs, but only pollution problems.
Mr E.A.S. Sarma, former bureaucrat and the convener of Forum for Better Visakha, has urged the State Government to ensure that the developer takes all the requisite pollution control measures and also makes good on the promises made at the the time of the construction of the park.
The pharma city authorities should be made to realise their duty to the society. He has also sought the release of Dave committee report on pollution alleged to have caused by the project.
High prices
The Jawaharlal Nehru Pharma City (JNPC) Manufacturers' Association is also resentful of the high prices fixed by the developer, Ramky, for plots in the park.
The association alleges that the developer, who got the land for Rs 4 lakh an acre, is now selling at Rs 1 crore.
Even allowing for the development costs, the association feels it is too high and it is not very encouraging to the new entrepreneurs.
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