The central government, in a recently held meeting, turned down the state government's proposal of setting up a medical device park in Maharashtra's Aurangabad city. As per reports, the proposal was sent to the government's Department of Pharmaceuticals under the promotion of the medical devices parks scheme. However, the same was not approved.
Besides Maharashtra states, like Tamil Nadu, and Madhya Pradesh. Himachal Pradesh also proposed the same and sent their respective details. It is being said that this is the third project that the state has lost along with other proposals. The Medical Devices Park was proposed at the cost of INR 424 crores and was expected to be constructed in the Auric city located in Aurangabad. Details regarding the same were published in the Hindustan Times, which quoted a letter issued by the Union Minister of Health, Family Welfare, Chemicals and fertilisers, Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya, on September 24, 2022. The letter was sent as a response to the query raised by Shiv Sena MP Priyanka Chaturvedi, written on March 29, 2022. The response read, “The Department of Pharmaceuticals had received proposals from 16 states and union territories including the proposal from Maharashtra. After appraisal of the said 16 proposals, four proposals of the state government of Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Madhya Pradesh and Himachal Pradesh have been selected and ₹30 crore has been released to each of the four states as first grant in aid.”
The scheme implemented by the government was for the state governments to set up CIFs medical devices park, for which a financial outlay scheme is currently approved at INR 400 crores and the maximum assistance the government can receive for this scheme is limited to INR 100 crores.
Over the last few months, the current ruling government run by Eknath Shinde and Devendra Fadnavis has constantly been losing projects. Former Chief Ministers and Shiv Sena Chief, Uddhav Thackeray, has been slamming the government regarding the same. Officials state that the medical devices park proposed by a government would have proven to be beneficial to the state as it would have helped in production of drugs and medical equipment in Maharashtra.
Slamming, the current government former environment minister of Maharashtra, Aditya Thackeray took to Twitter and said, “After the exit of Vedanta-Foxconn and the Bulk Drug Park, Maharashtra has now been left out of the Medicine Device Park scheme as well. Despite having the best infrastructure and skill pool, another project was denied to Maharashtra. Does the governing dispensation know?”
Current Deputy Chief Minister, Devendra Fadnavis declined the claims and responded by saying, "I will ask him to show one letter that the medical devices park was sanctioned in Maharashtra and later shifted to another state. They were in power for two and half years but did nothing except criticize the central government. We will continue to bring investment to Maharashtra like before."
Share
Tweet
