Hyderabad: The state government has expedited the land acquisition process for Hyderabad Pharma City project. The government has directed collectors of Ranga Reddy and Mahbubnagar districts to speed up land acquisition by invoking the provisions of recently amended TS Land Acquisition Act, 2016.

The government could acquire only 6,166 acres in the last two years although it needs over 12,000 acres. Farmers opposed land acquisition under GO 123 issued earlier.

The state government has already handed over nearly 2,000 acres in Mucherla in Ranga Reddy district on the city outskirts to TS Industrial Infrastructure Corporation for development.

The government has decided to develop the Pharma City in about 12,000 acres in the corridor spread in Ranga Reddy and Mahbubnagar districts.

The Centre accorded National Investment and Manufacturing Zones status to the Pharma City project and the government is in a hurry to complete the land acquisition to be eligible to claim the incentives being offered by the Centre under NIMZ category.

The first phase of the Pharma City would come up in 6,000 acres with common facilities including zero-liquid discharge effluent treatment with non-hazardous solid waste, research and development hubs and others with ultimate capacity required for the two phases.

There was confirmed demand for 5,000 acres in the first phase with various pharma companies already seeking land in pharma city starting from two-acres and above.