Punjab finance minister meets Mandaviya, seeks establishment of pharma park in Bathinda

Punjab Finance Minister Manpreet Singh Badal on Friday met Union Chemicals and Fertilisers Minister Mansukh Mandaviya and sought the establishment of a pharmaceutical park in Bathinda.

According to a statement issued by the Punjab government, Badal said that building a pharmaceutical park in Bathinda would serve the entire country, particularly the northern region, including Punjab, Haryana, western Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh.

He also stressed that it was equally important to diversify Punjab's economy and agriculture.

Mandaviya heard the facts presented and assured Badal that he would give Bathinda the highest consideration, the statement said.

Being a border state, Punjab must employ its youth productively to ensure that they don't fall victim to the ''sinister designs emanating from our hostile neighbours'', Badal told Mandaviya.

The establishment of a pharmaceutical park in Bathinda would provide direct employment to around 1,00,000 people and indirect employment to nearly 2,00,000 people, he said.

Badal said that the site chosen in Bathinda was ideal for the establishment of a pharmaceutical park due to the presence of a fully operational ''A'' level railway station, the availability of over 1,350 acres of land and its proximity to the Bathinda Oil Refinery.

The pharmaceutical industry would also receive substantial support from some of the largest USFDA-approved pharmaceutical companies, such as Sun Pharma, Centrient, and IOL Chemicals, he said.

Bathinda would also benefit from an R&D ecosystem of National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research and Institute of Nano-Technology at Mohali, besides All Indian Institute of Medical Sciences and Institute of Microbial Technology, he added.

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