Google data centre project cleared for approvals after due diligence of DPR, APIIC tells High Court

You don’t have any Active Subscription.

Account subscription benefits alongside Premium Stories, Editorials, Opinions and more. Unlock these with Subscription

The Andhra Pradesh High Court. File | Photo Credit: G.N. Rao

The Andhra Pradesh Industrial Infrastructure Corporation (APIIC) has told the High Court that the detailed project report (DPR) submitted by Raiden Infotech Pvt. Ltd., a wholly owned subsidiary of Google (Alphabet), for the establishment of Google’s hyperscale data centre in Visakhapatnam district, and the land allotment proposal were placed before the State Investment Promotion Committee (SIPC) and the State Investment Promotion Board (SIPB) after due diligence.

The allotment of 160 acres of land belonging to Sri Varaha Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy Vari Devasthanam, situated in Adavivaram and Mudasarlova villages of Visakhapatnam Rural mandal, to the company was made after the project was cleared by the SIPC and the SIPB and then by the Council of Ministers, the APIIC said.

The petition filed by environmentalist Bolisetti Satyanarayana on various grounds is coming up for hearing on October 5.

The APIIC further stated that the land allotment letter given to Vizag Hyperscale Data Centre Park Limited in April 2026 clearly mentioned that the ownership remained with the Endowments Department, and advance possession was given accordingly.

It said that a formal request was duly made to the Commissioner of Endowments for lease and advance possession of the land, initially for a period of 11 years as per the applicable provisions, with further extension up to 30 years, subject to the High Court’s directions.

The fixed annual lease rent of ₹26,45,54,400, with a provision for an escalation of 5% every five years, was remitted to the APIIC, and the same has been paid to Sri Varaha Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy Vari Devasthanam, it said.

The APIIC further said that the Supreme Court had held in several cases that auction or bidding was not the only way by which a public land or resource could be allotted.

Considering the gigantic nature of the impugned data centre project, its impact on the economy of Andhra Pradesh and the competition it faced from other States to attract investments, certain incentives were necessary, the APIIC said.

Land could not always be allotted by a bidding process, because instant monetary gain was not the sole criterion for any policy action by the State, and the overall socio-economic impact of the project and the industrial development of the State were the primary factors that were considered, it said.

Executive Officer J. Venkata Rao of Sri Varaha Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy Vari Devasthanam told the court that the entire land measuring 160 acres was the absolute and inalienable property of the temple.

The Executive Officer said the land formed part of the core endowment of the temple, vested in the deity, and was registered in the statutory records maintained under Section 43 of Act 30 of 1987.

Consequently, any judicial determination regarding the character, transferability, usage, leasehold execution or ecological zoning of these survey parcels would directly affect the asset portfolio and institutional survival of the Devasthanam, he said.

The temple has the primary title documents, historical possession records and the relevant administrative resolutions essential for the High Court to reach a just conclusion, he added.

Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide by our community guidelines for posting your comments.

We have migrated to a new commenting platform. If you are already a registered user of The Hindu and logged in, you may continue to engage with our articles. If you do not have an account please register and login to post comments. Users can access their older comments by logging into their accounts on Vuukle.