Rs 1,000 crore approved for bulk drug parks in Andhra Pradesh: Centre
The Centre has approved a financial assistance of Rs 1,000 crore for the purpose
NEW DELHI: The Union government, in response to questions posed by YSRCP Rajya Sabha member Vijayasai Reddy in Rajya Sabha over the setting up of bulk drug parks and establishment of a cancer hospital in Kurnool, said on Tuesday that it had sanctioned Rs 1,000 crore and Rs 72 crores respectively for the two projects.
In a written reply to Vijayasai Reddy's question on whether the Centre is planning to set up more bulk drug parks in Andhra Pradesh, Union Minister of State for Chemicals and Fertilizers Bhagwant Khuba clarified that the Centre had approved a financial assistance of Rs 1,000 crore for the purpose. However, he said that the responsibility of providing infrastructure to the bulk drug parks vested with the state government.
Stating that the Central Pharmaceutical Department has brought about the scheme for the promotion of bulk drug parks in the country to create a suitable climate for the manufacture of pharma drugs for domestic consumption and also for export purposes. The minister said that these bulk drug parks were set up in various locations based on the transportation facility and connectivity between the pharma industries.
Minister of State for Health Dr Bharti Praveen Pawar said that the Centre was bearing a cost of Rs 72 crores as its share for the Cancer Institute being set up by the state government at Rs. 120 crores in Kurnool Medical College.
The minister stated that the establishment of a state-level cancer institute at Kurnool Medical College had been approved as part of the decision to establish cancer institutes and 20 tertiary care cancer centres in 19 states across the country for the treatment of cancer. He said that financial assistance of Rs 54 crores was provided to Kurnool Medical College for the establishment of the Cancer Institute.
The minister also revealed that surgical oncology and radiotherapy services were started at Mangalagiri AIIMS in 2021 and asserted that the medical and surgical specialists in AIIMS were extending cancer treatment.