Goa accounts for 12% of drug manufacturing in India: CM
Darpan News Desk IANS, 21 Sep, 2021 11:13 AM
Panaji, Sep 21 (IANS) The pharmaceutical industry in Goa accounts for 12 per cent of all medicines manufactured in the country, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant said on Tuesday, while also rooting for development of Goa as a model hub for export in the country.
"Pharmaceutical industry in Goa produces 12 per cent of the total medicine manufactured in India. Around 70 per cent of the product is exported to the most developed countries in the world," Sawant told a government function in Panaji organised to promote industrial trade in the state.
"We all share a goal. The goal is to enhance Goa's export potential by finding new opportunities and entering the new markets. As we are the smallest state in India, we are facing unique developmental challenges due to our small population and limited natural resources, like availability of land. Therefore we all must work shoulder to shoulder to make Goa as an export hub, a model export state for the rest of the country," the Chief Minister also said.
Sawant said that obtaining Geographical Index (GI) tagging for indigenous products would also help increase the synergy between local entrepreneurs and those involved in traditional occupations.
"Our government is working to get geo-tagging for more Goan products. The GI tagging will help Goan entrepreneurs to involve traditional businesses, such as manufacturing of feni, khaje (traditional jaggery coated snacks) as well as farmers producing the kola chilli (and provide intellectual property rights for the products)," the Chief Minister said.
"We have moved from the 7th position in the SDG (countrywide ranking) to the fourth position in 2020. The state is coming up with common processing clusters for paddy, vegetable, food processing, fruit, coir, chilli and jaggery," Sawant also said.
Additional Chief Secretary Devendra Singh and Deputy Commissioner of Karnal Nishant Yadav are participating in the meeting. From the farmers side, BKU president Gurunam Singh Chaduni and the state leadership will present their demands.
Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) leader Balbir Singh Rajewal told the media here after the day-long deliberations with the political parties, except the BJP, that they had told the political parties not to hold big rallies till elections in the state are announced.
Naqvi further stated that the long-pending demand of Kartarpur Corridor has been fulfilled and the government has also decided to start the 'Gurudwara circuit train' that will take passengers on a pilgrimage across the country.
Bharatiya Kisan Union leader Rakesh Tikait on Wednesday announced that they will continue the peaceful protest here and will not obstruct any official day to day activities. He said that farmers across the state will continue the agitation on the lines of ongoing protests at the Delhi borders.
The drug money is allegedly linked with the seizure of 17 kg heroin, which was recovered by the police in Amritsar (Rural) on August 26 after arresting Ranjit Singh, alias Sonu.
