Palla flays YSRCP for obstructing development through legal cases

Palla Srinivasa Rao, TDP State president, criticized the YSRCP for its attempts to obstruct development projects that promise large-scale employment opportunities in Andhra Pradesh. Responding to a Public Interest Litigation filed by YSRCP Tirupati MP Maddila Gurumoorthy challenging the establishment of a Google Artificial Intelligence Hub and Data Centre in Visakhapatnam, Rao alleged that the litigation reflects a broader political strategy aimed at derailing investment initiatives. He stated that during the five-year tenure of the YSRCP government, the State witnessed an exodus of industries, with 913 companies leaving A.P., undermining investor confidence and stalling industrial growth. He further claimed that the surge in investment proposals under the present Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu's administration had triggered politically motivated attempts by the YSRCP to stall projects through legal challenges. Rao pointed out that former minister Gudivada Amarnath challenged the State’s land policy in court, and now the current PIL against land allocations for new projects follows a similar pattern of obstruction. He argued that more than half the companies that entered the State between 2014 and 2019 eventually left during the YSRCP administration. These included companies like TCS, ancillary units linked to Kia Motors, Franklin Templeton, HSBC, Lulu Group, BR Pettie Group, APP Paper Industries, and Singapore Starliners. The lost investment proposals were worth nearly ₹10 lakh crore, resulting in unemployment among the youth. Rao argued that the coalition government had managed to revive Andhra Pradesh’s battered industrial ecosystem within just 20 months. He described the initiative to bring Google's AI infrastructure to Visakhapatnam as a landmark development. With an estimated investment of ₹1.35 lakh crore, the proposed project aims to position the city as India's first major AI hub. Rao also noted that global technology firms such as TCS, Cognizant, and Raheja Group were expanding their presence in the city.