CPI(M) opposes land allotment to Adani for ‘Google’ Data Centre in Visakhapatnam

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The Andhra Pradesh State Committee of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) has strongly opposed the State government’s decision to allot hundreds of acres of land in Visakhapatnam for a proposed data centre project allegedly linked to the Adani Group under the name of Google.

In a statement issued on Friday, CPI-M State Secretary V. Srinivasa Rao alleged that while the government had earlier announced that Google would establish a 1 GW capacity data centre in Visakhapatnam with an investment of ₹1.36 lakh crore, the State Cabinet on February 24 approved the allocation of land to Adani Group entities by dividing the project into three special purpose vehicles (SPVs).

According to the party, the Cabinet has approved the allotment of 601.4 acres of land to Adani Infra for setting up a 1,000 MW AI data centre cluster across Visakhapatnam and Anakapalli districts. This includes 308 acres in Taraluvada of Anandapuram mandal and another 106 acres for a semiconductor-related project. Additionally, 256.47 acres belonging to the Simhachalam Devasthanam in Adivivaram panchayat and certain lands in the SEZ area of Rambilli mandal are also proposed to be allocated.

The CPI(M) questioned the rationale behind allocating vast stretches of temple land to private entities while long-pending land regularisation issues of thousands of poor families remain unresolved. The party claimed that around 6,000 poor residents across 275 survey numbers in the Simhachalam region and nearly 13,000 people in areas such as Adivaram, Venkatapuram, Vegunta, Cheemalapalli and Purushottapuram are awaiting regularisation of lands where they have been residing for decades.

Alleging that Dalit residents in Taraluvada are opposing the land acquisition but are facing political pressure, the CPI(M) termed the move as “deceptive,” accusing the government of using Google’s name while effectively allotting land to Adani Group companies.

He demanded immediate cancellation of the land allotments to Adani and urged the state government to retain control of the proposed data centre project instead of handing over public assets to private corporations.