Bulk Drug Park Set for 2027 Launch as Employment Debate Heats Up in Assembly
The Himachal Pradesh government’s ambitious Bulk Drug Park project in Una district took centre stage in the Vidhan Sabha on Monday, with Industries Minister Harshwardhan Chauhan announcing that the facility is expected to become operational by March 2027. The announcement, however, sparked a wider debate on employment opportunities, with opposition BJP legislators questioning the government’s record on job creation.
The discussion arose during a debate on youth employment under Rule 130, where several BJP MLAs, including Randhir Sharma, Sudhir Sharma, Rakesh Jamwal, Hans Raj and J.R. Katwal, pressed the government on its plans to generate jobs for the state’s young population.
Responding to the concerns, Chauhan said that while the Bulk Drug Park project had faced delays due to environmental clearance requirements, the hurdles had now been cleared. With approvals in place, tenders floated and plots demarcated, work on the project is moving ahead and is expected to deliver long-term industrial benefits to the state.
The minister described the Bulk Drug Park as a more promising investment for Himachal’s future than the Medical Devices Park proposed earlier at Nalagarh. According to him, the project is being funded jointly by the Central Government and the state government, reflecting a shared commitment to boosting industrial development in the region.
Chauhan also defended the state’s decision to step away from the Medical Devices Park project. He said Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu had concluded that the venture was not in Himachal’s larger interest, leading the government to return ₹33 crore, along with interest, to the Centre.
The minister further alleged that the previous BJP government had provided around 1,500 bighas of land for the project at highly concessional rates and extended substantial power incentives to investors. He stated that while nearly 90 per cent of the Medical Devices Park infrastructure had already been completed, the remaining land would now be allotted only to investors willing to bear a significant share of the cost.
The opposition, however, remained unconvinced. Naina Devi MLA Randhir Sharma claimed that in the nearly four years since the Congress government came to power, fewer than 1,000 jobs had been created, many of them temporary rather than permanent.
He accused the government of abandoning the Medical Devices Park despite receiving central assistance and questioned why the Bulk Drug Park had taken years to secure clearances while available funds remained largely unused.
Other BJP legislators echoed similar concerns, reminding the government of its election promise to create one lakh jobs annually. They argued that employment generation had fallen short of expectations and urged the government to focus more aggressively on creating opportunities for young people.
Rakesh Jamwal, Hans Raj, Sudhir Sharma and J.R. Katwal also criticised the government’s approach, alleging that instead of prioritising large-scale employment initiatives, it was focusing on revenue-generating measures such as regulated cannabis cultivation and the revival of the lottery system.
The debate reflected the broader challenge facing Himachal Pradesh: balancing long-term industrial development with the immediate demand for jobs. While the government is positioning the Bulk Drug Park as a major future driver of investment and employment, the opposition is pressing for quicker and more visible results for the state’s youth.
As work on the Una project moves forward, its progress and eventual impact on employment are likely to remain closely watched, both inside the Assembly and across Himachal Pradesh.
