The Shrouded Deal: Andhra's Google Data Centre MoU Remains a Mystery

There's a bit of a head-scratcher unfolding in Andhra Pradesh, it seems. The state government has outright refused to spill the beans on a highly anticipated Memorandum of Understanding – an MoU, if you will – that was purportedly signed with tech giant Google. It’s all about a massive data center project, and frankly, the government's reasoning for keeping it under wraps is sparking quite the debate, particularly around transparency.

Rewind a little to December 2018. Picture this: the vibrant setting of the CII Partnership Summit in Visakhapatnam. It was during this very event that the then-TDP government, led by Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu, proudly announced this landmark deal with Google. Oh, the promises! We're talking about a potential game-changer for the state, with figures like 1.5 lakh new jobs and an investment reportedly soaring into the tens of thousands of crores being bandied about. A Google development center alongside a massive data center – it sounded like a dream for Vizag, really.

Fast forward to today. A determined RTI activist, Marripati Sasidhar, decided to cut through the speculation and simply asked for the details – a pretty reasonable request, right? He wanted to see this MoU. But here’s where it gets interesting: the YSRCP government, currently at the helm, shot him down. Their official line? Well, they've invoked Section 8(1)(d) of the RTI Act, arguing that making this MoU public would 'harm the competitive position of a third party.' In simpler terms, they're saying it's commercially sensitive information that shouldn't see the light of day. Hmm.

Now, if you're a bit of a political observer, you might spot a rich vein of irony here. It wasn't so long ago, when the YSRCP was in opposition, that they were quite vocal – and rightly so, perhaps – about the lack of transparency surrounding MoUs signed by the then-TDP government. The tables have certainly turned! And predictably, the TDP is not letting this go quietly. They're quick to remind everyone of the grand pronouncements made by leaders like Nara Lokesh and Chandrababu Naidu himself about the project's immense potential. It really makes you wonder, doesn't it?

So, what's the actual status of this much-hyped Google data center and development hub? Well, that's another piece of the puzzle. The current administration has stated quite unequivocally that no such project is presently underway, nor was it ever truly finalized. This naturally leaves a lingering question in the air: if it was such a done deal, what exactly happened? Was it merely an aspirational MoU, or was there more to it that now remains deliberately hidden? The refusal to disclose just feeds the curiosity, and perhaps, a little bit of suspicion, about the true nature of these past commitments.