'Leaf From PM's Playbook': Andhra Pradesh's Nara Lokesh On 99p Land For IT Majors

NDTV

8 hours ago

Hyderabad:
Andhra Pradesh IT Minister Nara Lokesh told NDTV he was 'inspired' by Prime Minister Narendra Modi when he got software giants Cognizant and Tata Consultancy Service to invest in the state, by offering to lease land at Re 1 and 99 paise, respectively. The reference to the PM was a throwback to when he, as Chief Minister of Gujarat, brought Tata Motors to the state by offering land at Re 1.
Nara Lokesh also declared his 99p offer open to other big IT giants, the top 100 in the world, in fact, and called it a signal of the state's intent to become a leading destination for technological advancement.
Andhra Pradesh has already allocated 21.31 acres to Cognizant for an IT campus at on land leased at Re 1. Cognizant is expected to invest Rs 1,582.98 crore and create 8,000 jobs in Visakhapatnam.
This follows allocation to TCS in April - 21.16 acres were provided at 99pm and TCS committed to an investment of Rs 1,370 crore, as wel as the creation of 12,000 jobs.
On 3-Capital Plan
Meanwhile, on the contentious three-capita plan for Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, Lokesh pointed to the overwhelming mandate for Andhra's ruling Telugu Desam Party after last year's Assembly election.
In that election, he said, Visakhapatnam had given a clear directive to the TDP against the three-capital plan proposed by former Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy and his YSR Congress Party.
He pointed out the YSRCP had failed to win even a single seat in the region, indicating the public's desire for economic development, which his government is now delivering.
"Andhra Pradesh has been a little late on IT. So we are leveraging what we see as our strategic advantage that we can offer," he explained, adding he envisions Visakhapatnam as a significant IT hub and a global chemical manufacturing centre, with plans for a new airport and India's largest steel plant.
On Water Dispute
Addressing the ongoing water dispute with Telangana, Nara Lokesh lamented the waste of water, and stressed the importance of building projects to conserve and utilise every drop.
He said Andhra Pradesh had no objection to the Kaleshwaram irrigation project and reiterated Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu's stance that both Telugu states must prosper together.
He said his government is "not here to steal anything from Telangana".
On his 'redbook', which reportedly contains records of alleged wrongduring by the YSRCP when it was in power, he said officers who violated the law had been suspended and those who broke it will "face the music". He cited instances of land-grabbing and the unlawful takeover of assets like Kakinada Port.
On the subject of sharp political exchanges in Andhra, Lokesh said the TDP had never sought to defame individuals or families. He highlighted action was taken against a TDP worker who 'crossed the line', while alleging Jagan Reddy never took action when his mother was attacked and his wife insulted.
Lokesh then accused Jagan Reddy of supporting violence, contrasting it with his party's disciplined approach and focus on people's issues, a philosophy, he said, was responsible for its victory in 2024; the party secured 94 per cent of the seats and even denied Jagan Reddy Leader of Opposition status.