Amara Raja's land taken back by AP Govt

Amaravati: State government withdrew 253.61 acres out of 483.27 acres allocated to TDP MP Galla Jaydev family-owned Amara Raja Infratech (P) Ltd at Nunegundlapally village, Bangarupalem Mandal and Kothapally village, Yadamarri Mandal in Chittoor district on Tuesday, on grounds that the company failed to generate the promised employment and invest since 2010. This land was given to the company at just Rs 1,80,000 per acre by the APIIC.

R Karikal Valaven, Special Chief Secretary, Industries department has issued a GO MS No 33 on Tuesday, ordering the Vice Chairman and Managing Director of APIIC to take necessary action accordingly.

The company was supposed to utilize the land for the intended purpose within a couple of years from the date of entering an agreement in 2010. As per the agreement, the company has to develop a Digital World City.

The government maintained that "Keeping the allotted public property idle and vacant is not only violation of the covenants of agreement of sale and sale deed, but is also against public interest and defeats the very purpose of allotment, which is to promote development by creating investment and employment."

The government noticed that the company sought the sale deed from the APIIC before the implementation of the project, on the premise that the same was needed for setting up of Special Economic Zone, but no such SEZ was developed in the allotted land till date. It was also mentioned that the company has utilized only 229.66 acres out of the total allotted 483.27 acres and even after 10 years of agreement of sale, 253.61 acres of land is lying unutilized.

Moreover, the company has not fulfilled its promise to invest Rs 2,100 cr with a potential employment generation of 20,000 people. The actual employment achieved so far is only 4,310, the government explained while taking back the unutilized land. It is estimated that the unutilized land is worth more than Rs 60 cr.