The Hindu Business Line : AP Cabinet clears Microsoft development centre plan

THE State Cabinet today approved Microsoft Corporation's Rs 50-crore plan to set up a development centre at Manikonda near here, with some fiscal incentives.

Briefing newsmen, Mr Shabbir Ali Mohammed, Minister for Information, said the development centre coming up on a 42.25-acre plot would provide employment to 7,000 people in seven years. The land cost was put at Rs 50 lakh.

The Minister said an agreement between the State Government and Microsoft Corp was signed after it was okayed by two Cabinet meetings in April and June last year.

The Government would provide an incentive of Rs 20,000 on every job provided to a person from Andhra Pradesh. Microsoft would also get 50 per cent reimbursement on Stamp Duty and Registration fee. The Government would develop roads to improve connectivity to the campus.

The Cabinet also decided to provide 59.12 acres to the Army to expand their research activity in at Nandikonda in Nalgonda district.

In another decision, the Government would take up eucalyptus plantation schemes in the reserve forest lands at a cost of Rs 22.70 crore.

In another decision the Cabinet has approved the recommendations of the Prakash Singh Committee, which probed the attempt on the life of the former Chief Minister, Mr N. Chandrababu Naidu, a year ago in Alipiri near Tirumala.

The Committee, headed by the former Director-General of Police, Mr Prakash Singh, felt that security lapses and intelligence failure had led to the attack. It suggested that the Government take up short-term and long-term measures to ensure better security.

The Committee, set up by the previous Telugu Desam Government, felt that the Government needed to beef up security and intelligence networks at Tirupati, Puttaparthi and Cyberabad, these were high-risk zones thanks to frequent visits by VIPs.

Mr Mohammad said the Committee called for training of security personnel in detection of explosives. In the long-term measures, the Government should take up programmes to eradicate poverty and improve the lot of tribals.

It also wanted the Government to provide employment opportunities in a big way and take up land reforms.

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