Take back unutilised lands from companies

Amaravati: Minister for Information Technology and Panchayat Raj and Rural Development Nara Lokesh directed officials to cancel land allotments and take back lands that were not utilised for years.

Addressing a review meeting at Secretariat in Velagapudi on Wednesday, Lokesh told the APIIC officials that some companies did not begin any activity in the lands that were allotted to them for years. “Identify such lands and take them back,” he directed.

Lokesh said office space for IT companies should be created on priority basis as several companies were showing interest to set up offices in Andhra Pradesh. “Construction of IT township in Kakulapadu and infrastructure facilities in Mangalagiri IT tower should be completed as early as possible” he said.

He also enquired about the progress of construction works about Incubation Centre in Anantapur, IT Business Centre in Tirupati, Millennium March Tower in Visakhapatnam.

Lokesh suggested officials to review MoUs with several companies and offer necessary help to those companies to enable them to start their activities in the state soon. “We should offer help to start-up companies that have been set up through Incubation Centres to develop as global leaders and provide office space and other facilities,” he said.

The IT minister also discussed about arrangement of drone incubation centre. Officials told the minster that around Rs 1,900 crore investments came to the state and around 7,000 new jobs were created.

Secretary for IT K Vijayanand, APIIC MD Babu, AP Innovation Society CEO Vallikumari, IT advisor J A Chowdary and others were present.