Andhra Minister Nara Lokesh slams PILs against Vizag IT parks

Andhra Pradesh IT Minister Nara Lokesh on Friday expressed concern over a series of Public Interest Litigations (PILs) filed against major IT Park projects in the State, saying they threaten employment opportunities to youth. The IT Minister noted that the PILs have been filed against IT park developments by global giants Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), Cognizant and Sattva Group and Raheja Corp in Visakhapatnam now. “YSRCP has moved PILs against TCS, Cognizant, Sattva and now Raheja IT parks - projects that together mean over 1 lakh jobs for Andhra Pradesh. YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, why this hatred towards the future of our youth? Why sabotage AP (Andhra Pradesh) at every step?” Lokesh asked in a post on X. However, the YSRCP has denied any involvement.

Manohar Reddy of the YSRCP’s legal cell said the party had no role in these PILs. The latest PIL has been filed by G Srinivasa Rao of the ‘Society for Protection of Constitution’ against the land allotment for Raheja Corp’s proposed IT Park in Visakhapatnam, said an official press release. According to Lokesh, repeated filing of PILs against marquee investments sends a deeply negative signal to investors and undermines Andhra Pradesh’s efforts to position itself as a leading destination for technology, innovation and high-quality employment. The coalition Government is committed to ‘transparent, lawful and investor-friendly processes’, he said and vowed to defend projects that create livelihood and economic growth.

“The future of Andhra Pradesh lies in jobs, skills and growth. Any attempt to stall such projects is an attack on the aspirations of our youth,” he added. The Andhra Pradesh Government has implemented the Land Incentive for Tech Hub (LIFT) Policy 4.0, 2024-2029, which offers land at Rs 0.99 (99 paisa) per acre to eligible entities throughout the state. Following the bifurcation of united Andhra Pradesh and the loss of Hyderabad, this policy has been formulated to utilise the infrastructure and talent in Andhra Pradesh, keeping in mind the need for new economic centres. IT major Cognizant Technology Solutions is a beneficiary of this policy