Visakhapatnam: CPM politburo member BV Raghavulu alleged that no significant foreign investment has come to Andhra Pradesh over the past two years, despite government campaigning about it extensively. Addressing the media at the CITU office here on Monday, Raghavulu pointed out that thousands of acres of land acquired from farmers for industrial purposes are now filled with weeds and grass. He criticised Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu for talking big about rapid industrial growth, massive investments, and large-scale job creation.

“For years, the Chief Minister has been saying that investments worth lakhs of crores are coming into the state. Summits are held with great fanfare, but no industry has actually materialised,” he alleged, adding that only grass has grown so far on lands earmarked for industrial projects. The CPM Politburo member asserted that many industrialists were interested only in acquiring valuable lands, not in setting up industries in Andhra Pradesh. Referring to IT Minister Nara Lokesh’s claim of attracting Rs.20 lakh crore of investment in 17 months, he demanded clarity on where all that money has gone. He acknowledged the need for data centres but he opined that they generate fewer than 300 jobs. He said wind and hydel projects under the green energy banner were being promoted for corporate benefits rather than public welfare. If the government is serious about employment generation, Raghavulu suggested that it should prioritise footwear, garment, textile, and food processing industries, which are proven to create a large number of jobs. He urged the government to focus on developing industries on land already allotted rather than making new announcements.

Raghavulu also dismissed claims of Andhra Pradesh making rapid progress under Naidu’s leadership.

“The state has not developed at all since the bifurcation of Telangana. States like Maharashtra, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, and Uttar Pradesh are moving ahead, but Andhra Pradesh continues to lag behind,” he criticised. Speaking about the Visakhapatnam Steel Plant, he accused management of linking salaries to production targets as a tactic to suppress workers’ voices.

He criticised attempts to blame employees for quality issues, when the management failed to supply quality raw materials, including coke, pellets, and others.

Expressing support for displaced families, he said their demands were justified.

“Employment has not been provided even to 8,000 displaced persons. The government must at least allot land or offer permanent employment,” he said.

CPM state secretary K Lokanatham and Visakhapatnam district secretary M Jaggu Naidu were present.