Andhra Cabinet clears 13 investment proposals worth over Rs 11,500 crore

Amaravati, Jul 10 (PTI) Andhra Pradesh Cabinet on Friday approved 13 investment proposals expected to generate over 31,000 jobs across the state, besides holding a detailed discussion on the alleged misuse of social media. Briefing reporters after the Cabinet meeting, Information and Public Relations Minister Kolusu Parthasarathy said the Cabinet had approved all 13 proposals cleared at the 19th State Investment Promotion Board meeting. He added that land allocation and incentives for the projects would be provided in accordance with the government’s approved industrial policies. “The Cabinet approved all 13 proposals cleared under the 19th SIPB meeting, involving investments worth Rs 11,569.91 crore that are expected to generate 31,431 jobs. It held a detailed discussion on the misuse of social media,” Parthasarathy said. Among the major proposals is a Rs 1,801 crore investment by Mondelez India Foods Private Limited at its existing facility at Sri City in Tirupati district. The project will be eligible for technology upgradation, fixed capital investment and power subsidies, along with electricity-related incentives and other benefits under the government’s policies. Parthasarathy also said the expansion would enable Andhra Pradesh to emerge as the leading state in the country in chocolate manufacturing using cocoa. “The Cabinet held a detailed discussion on the misuse of social media,” he said, describing it as a "disease" for society — useful in many ways, but increasingly harmful, shaping how governments function and how people think. He said the problem was not confined to Andhra Pradesh or India, but had become a global phenomenon, prompting several countries to enact laws to regulate social media platforms. The minister said that earlier, the media largely meant newspapers and television channels, which operated under recognised managements and were legally accountable for their content. "If people believed something was wrong, they could seek legal remedy, and the organisations concerned could be held accountable," he said. In contrast, he alleged, social media today functions "without accountability or ethical standards" and is increasingly being used to target individuals, malign their character and "spread false propaganda against the government." Parthasarathy said Director General of Police Harish Kumar Gupta and other officials discussed the issue in detail during the Cabinet meeting. Naidu directed officials to set up a state-level Social Media Response Cell to tackle its misuse, and called for a Task Force to address such allegations, the minister said. Parthasarathy said Naidu directed officials to use modern forensic techniques to trace social media handles allegedly spreading hatred, misinformation and character assassination, alleging that some political parties, leaders and their supporters were doing so to "provoke hatred". He said those responsible had not yet been identified, but Naidu had directed the departments concerned to trace them, establish a procedure and initiate action. An inquiry would be conducted and the facts placed before the public, the minister added. PTI MS SSK