Hyderabad, May 22 (RAHNUMA): Former minister and BRS MLA T. Harish Rao on Friday accused the Congress government of converting the proposed “Future City” into a real estate-driven project at the cost of original Pharma City vision. He asserted that the BRS would completely scrap the “Future City” initiative and revive the Pharma City project if voted back to power.
Speaking to media during an overseas tour, Harish Rao claimed that the Union Environment Ministry had granted clearance specifically for Pharma City, with conditions mandating that 75 percent of the land be used for pharmaceutical industries and only 25 percent for ancillary purposes. He alleged that the present government had reversed this ratio by prioritising commercial activities over pharma development, calling the move legally untenable.
He further alleged that the state government was misleading the High Court by claiming continuity of the Pharma City project while deviating from the approved plan. Citing parliamentary provisions, he said any major deviation would require the acquired lands to be returned to farmers.
Defending the original Pharma City concept initiated during the BRS regime, Harish Rao said the project was envisioned to generate massive employment and retain pharmaceutical investments in the region. He accused the Congress government of sitting idle for over two-and-a-half years and reducing the project to a land-distribution exercise aimed at commercial gains through “back-end deals”.
He reiterated that a full-fledged Pharma City, as originally conceived by the BRS government, would be established at the same location once the party returns to power.
