SHIMLA: The protracted spat between ruling Congress and opposition BJP MLAs, both inside and outside the Vidhan Sabha, over the Bulk Drug Pharma and Medical Device Park smacks of the "entrenched crony capitalism" that has come to plague Himachal as well, revealed insiders.
These two projects are "big money projects" in Una and Baddi-Barotiwala Nalagarh(BBN) industrial belt aimed at economic rejuvenation and employment for the state's youth.
Bulk Drug Park will attract an investment of Rs 8000 Crore to Rs 10,000 Crore, creating 15000 jobs as claimed by the government.
The Medical Device park is being set up in the 300 Acre Land in Nalagarh, nobody knows how many jobs it will generate.
There are others who say that crony capitalism will be on a scale much less than as it used to be in the recent past.
Main reason, they say is that Supreme Court has banned electoral bonds for raising funds from donors thereby diminishing the chances of cronyism.
But as of now the projects find itself locked in a web of 'bureaucratic red tape and political opportunism", rued the worried the industrialists, who want to set up units in the state.
The clamour for "saving Himachal interests" may become cronier as the Lok Sabha elections inch closer.
The leaders are also helpless and are under pressure for raising funds for elections, whether Vidhan sabha or Lok Sabha, confessed a leader.
If one goes by the ongoing heated debate both inside the Vidhan Sabha and outside over these two projects, it can be inferred that the debate over projects has degenerating into the "cronyism" as far as political class is concerned.
BJP MLAs led by Leader of the Opposition Jai Ram Thakur have been storming outside the Vidhan sabha in protest carrying banners and shouting slogans, for the last two days, "save Industry and so on.
After the walkout Former Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur told media that it was Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the late Atal Bihari Vajpayee who propelled Himachal Pradesh's industrial ascent.
Thakur claimed that it was Vajpayee's visionary industrial packages that kickstarted Himachal's industrial growth in Baddi-Barotiwala Nalagarh, which today has emerged as the Pharma hub of the country.
He credited Modi for the inception of the Bulk Pharma Park and Medical Device Park and accused the Sukhu government of delaying the projects and changing terms and conditions of MoUs that suit his ministers or certain MLAs".
Jai Ram Thakur took the narrative down the level Even JCBs are being deployed with order from the single House, Thakur charged.
However, ruling Congress trashed BJP claim, accusing the BJP of leveraging these projects for electoral gain rather than genuine development.
In response, Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu refrained from direct mentions but acknowledged the pivotal role of influential leaders in shaping the state's industrial landscape.
During a heated debate Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh presented data regarding the status of the Medical Device Park project in Himachal Pradesh.
He revealed that the government had already leased 400 acres of land for the project at a nominal rate of ₹1 per acre. This amounted to 4000 kanals, equivalent to 400 acres, allocated for the development of the park.
Sukhvinder Singh further disclosed that the Government of India had provided a financial grant of ₹100 crore to initiate the project.
However, only ₹30 crore out of the allocated funds had been received so far. Despite the financial constraints, he assured that the government was actively engaged in advancing the project.
The Chief Minister emphasized the significance of the Medical Device Park for the state's economic growth, particularly in generating employment opportunities.
He reiterated the government's commitment to ensuring that Himachal Pradesh's interests were upheld throughout the project's execution.
Despite lofty promises of private sector investment, the government's inability to translate rhetoric into action has led to disillusionment among investors and a downturn in the industrial sector, revealed the captains of the industry.
Amidst the cacophony of political rhetoric, the debate has degenerated into trivial squabbles over petty matters such as the choice of deployment of JCBs in the development of sites of parks
"These barbs and squabble demonstrate that political class is infested with ,crony capitalism", charged the insiders. The political parties carrying banners present a picture of trade unionism of Andolan jeevi, CITU fame
Meanwhile, industries in the region are heading towards uncertainty, with closures looming large and job losses mounting if the government does not fast track the projects.
There are about 630 pharma units in the BBN belt spanning about Rs 10,000 Crore business.
But neither the previous BJP government nor the Present Congress government provide the exact position of jobs in these industries and how many workers are from Himachal Pradesh.
Calls for urgent intervention to jumpstart the stalled projects are more pronounced than ever before as stakeholders and citizens alike demand accountability and swift action from their elected representatives.
Amidst the political brinkmanship and blame-shifting, the true victims remain the people of Himachal Pradesh whose siblings await jobs and employment.
