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CPI(M) State secretary V. Srinivasa Rao has demanded that the State government reveal the facts on the Google Data Centre proposed to be set up in Visakhapatnam in the wake of conflicting reports on its employment potential, possible adverse environmental impact, and high water and power consumption.

In a letter to Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, the CPI(M) leader says that while IT Minister N. Lokesh claims that the data centre will generate 1.80 lakh jobs, the BJP leaders have ruled out such a prospect, apart from saying that it can cause adverse impact on the environment.

Releasing copies of the letter at a media conference here on Sunday, Mr. Srinivasa Rao alleged that the government was trying to mislead the people in the name of jobs.

Environmental activists and intellectuals were warning of tremendous generation of heat, possible shortage of power and water to meet the needs of citizens in the future, he said. Union Minister Pemmasani Chandrasekhar had said that the data centre could generate no more than 6,000 direct jobs in addition to generating around 30,000 jobs indirectly.

The CPI(M) leader felt that had Andhra Pradesh been given Special Category Status (SCS), several companies like Google would have made a beeline for the State. In its absence, the State government was extending concessions to the tune of ₹22,000 crore to Google now, he said.

At a time when IT majors were downsizing their employees across the globe, the State government should come out with definite figures on the employment potential to meet the aspirations of qualified unemployed youth, Mr. Srinivasa Rao said.

The government should also reveal the assurances given by Google in the MoU for the establishment of the 1 GW data centre.