Shimla, June 12 -- As the Congress and BJP trade barbs over the upcoming Bulk Drug Park in Una, Himachal Pradesh industries minister Harshwardhan Chauhan has blamed cumbersome clearance processes under the Forest Conservation Act (FCA) for the project's delays. Speaking to HT on Thursday, Chauhan said, "The biggest hurdle facing the project is obtaining approval under the FCA. Permission for felling trees over approximately 500 acres of land has not yet been granted, affecting progress in certain parts of the project." Chauhan's statement follows allegations by leader of the opposition and former chief minister Jai Ram Thakur, who accused the state government of stalling the Bulk Drug Park and other centrally sponsored projects. Dismissing the claims, Chauhan said that Himachal Pradesh is outperforming Gujarat and Andhra Pradesh-the other two states sanctioned for the flagship central scheme. He maintained that core utility infrastructure is nearing completion. "Nearly 90% of the water supply system and 75% of the transmission infrastructure for the 120 MW power supply are complete. Road construction is also largely finished," Chauhan said. The project was inaugurated by chief minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu in June 2024. Approved in October 2022, and slated to be completed by March 2026, the project has been marred by delays. However, the minister acknowledged that technical issues and shifting central guidelines have caused setbacks. A Rs.50-crore tender for an industrial boiler had to be cancelled and reissued after only a single bidder qualified, failing to meet required parameters. Stricter environmental guidelines from the ministry of environment, forest and climate change also forced plan revisions, triggering an eight-month delay. Despite these hurdles, Chauhan expressed confidence that land development and plot allotments to large-scale active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) manufacturers would begin within three months. "Himachal Pradesh already contributes nearly 35% of India's pharmaceutical manufacturing capacity," Chauhan said. "The Bulk Drug Park will boast a projected turnover between Rs.10,000 crore and Rs.25,000 crore, creating 8,000 to 10,000 jobs." Turning his guns on the opposition regarding the state's tight fiscal health, Chauhan blamed the previous BJP administration for failing to build a strong financial foundation. He alleged that while the previous government received Rs.48,000 crore in central assistance alongside revenue deficit grants and GST compensation, the current Congress regime has received only Rs.17,000 crore so far. The park is being developed at a total cost of Rs.2,000 crore and would strengthen the country's pharmaceutical sector by manufacturing Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (APIs) and reduce dependence on foreign nations for raw materials used in medicines. The Central and state governments are each contributing Rs.1,000 crore to the project....