Industrial parks handed to private players : Gudivada Amarnath

Visakhapatnam, Dec 29: YSRCP Anakapalli district president and former minister Gudivada Amarnath strongly criticised the Chandrababu Naidu-led government for what he called the systematic privatisation of the state, even industrial development is being handed over to private players under the PPP model. Speaking to the media at the YSRCP city office in Visakhapatnam, he said the decision to develop 22 MSME parks through private entities instead of AP Industrial Infrastructure Corporation (APIIC) exposes the government’s intent to surrender public assets to corporates. “If everything is to be run by private players, why does Andhra Pradesh even need a Chief Minister or a Cabinet?” he asked.
Amarnath said APIIC is a strong and proven institution that has developed more than 550 industrial parks and generated employment over the years, yet it is now being sidelined deliberately. He alleged that under the PPP model, valuable land, much of it assigned land meant for Dalits and backward communities, is being handed over without safeguards such as the mandatory SC/ST quota in industrial plots. He warned that the policy allows private parties to use this land for real estate, malls, housing layouts and cinemas, turning industrial parks into real estate ventures. In areas like Visakhapatnam, Gopalapatnam, Mudasarlova and Paravada, where land values run into tens of crores per acre, this amounts to a massive scam benefiting private real estate interests, he said.
The former minister stated that the government pushing privatisation across all sectors, education, healthcare, agriculture, roads and now industry, and questioned whether governance itself would next be outsourced. He said welfare systems have been weakened deliberately, pointing to unpaid fee reimbursement dues of over Rs. 5,000 crore and Aarogyasri pending bills of around Rs. 4,500 crore, which are hurting students and patients. “Children are unable to write exams, hospitals are unpaid, and yet the government claims development,” he said.
Amarnath rejected allegations that the previous YS Jagan Mohan Reddy government indulged in “destruction”, asserting that it delivered real development. He recalled that Andhra Pradesh topped the Ease of Doing Business rankings, established three industrial corridors, initiated ports at Machilipatnam, Ramayapatnam and Mulapeta, promoted the blue economy, and strengthened public healthcare through Aarogyasri by covering over 3,500 diseases with coverage up to Rs. 25 lakh per family. He said improving 45,000 government schools, strengthening healthcare and supporting farmers were acts of development, not destruction.
He also criticised the ruling coalition for running what he called a “publicity-driven government with no real outcomes”, claiming that despite tall claims of multiple “cities” like AI City, Drone City, Quantum City and Future City, nothing has materialised on the ground even after 20 months. The state, he said, is borrowing Rs. 500–600 crore every day, accumulating nearly Rs. 2.8 lakh crore in 20 months, without creating productive assets, while public money is being spent largely on publicity for the Chief Minister and his son.

Responding to media queries, Amarnath said the failure to attract bidders for medical college privatisation itself exposes public resistance, yet the government continues to push the agenda in an authoritarian manner. He stated that policy decisions are being framed to suit corporate interests and private individuals, not public welfare. Referring to land allocations in Visakhapatnam, he pointed out that even companies allotted land have no offices or employees, indicating benami-style arrangements. “This government is not governing for the people but acting as a broker for private interests,” he said, warning that such policies are dangerous for the state’s future.