VIJAYAWADA: The Andhra Pradesh Assembly on Thursday passed a Bill granting statutory status to the AP Economic Development Board. But it seems the devil is in the detail. The draft bill had earlier attracted criticism for a controversial clause that allegedly proposed to bar courts from entertaining any petition against the Board officials or its consultants for discharging their duties as specified in the legislation.
However, another clause that reads — “no suit, prosecution or other legal proceeding shall lie against the Board or any member, in respect of anything which is done or intended to be done in good faith, or any contract of any kind entered into by the Board in good faith in pursuance of this Act or the regulations made or orders or directions issued thereunder ” — has been retained. This could trigger a controversy with the Opposition already accusing the State government of inviting investors and allotting land etc at throwaway prices.
“We have been working for two years as per a GO. Now, the Board has been given statutory status. That is not to stop court interferences that is only to protect employees for actions done in good faith. Court any day has jurisdiction. If we do anything any ultra vires act, it can be questioned in a court of law,” J Krishna Kishore, CEO, APEDB, told TNIE.
The Bill, moved by Finance Minister Yanamala Ramakrishnudu on behalf of the Chief Minister who was in New Delhi, was taken up for consideration in the Assembly and passed in the absence of the main Opposition YSR Congress. Another provision in the Bill intended to make the State Investment Promotion Board and the State Investment Promotion Committee statutory bodies has been withdrawn as was a clause seeking to merge Sunrise Andhra Pradesh, the brand being promoted to attract investments’ with the APEDB.
The APEDB, modelled much like the Singapore EDB, was constituted on March 17, 2016 as a single-point of contact for investments in the state, with the Chief Minister being its chairman. It is also intended for strategic investment planning and promotion, among others, as per the Bill. “EDB has been playing a significant role in attracting investments into the state,” the Finance Minister said while tabling the Bill.