VIJAYAWADA:  Special Chief Secretary for Industries and Commerce Rajat Bhargava on Sunday described as fake reports that the Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency (KOTRA), a South Korean government body, claimed Kia Motors was not happy in Andhra Pradesh. Speaking to TNIE, he said he had recently returned from Korea and no such concerns were expressed during his meetings with 5-6 top industrial houses there. “They have absolutely no issues,” he asserted. 

Asian Community News (ACN) Network, a web portal, on Sunday carried an interview with Young Kim Moon, President, KOTRA, South-West Asia, in which he was quoted as saying that Kia Motors had held talks with the Tamil Nadu government through its sister concern Hyundai and that it had contemplated relocation of its manufacturing plant from Andhra Pradesh to Tamil Nadu. 

“It’s the promise and commitment made by the State government, not by a person. So, this kind of promises should be kept irrespective of the change of the government. The Central government should make some policy or law to ensure that a State government will not change its commitment made by the previous government. It will send a negative signal not only to Korea but also to other countries,” Moon was quoted as saying. 

Rajat Bhargava, however, said there was no truth in the reports that Kia Motors was unhappy in Andhra Pradesh and was contemplating relocation. “We will take action against those who are spreading such false news. Earlier also such reports proved to be false,” he maintained. The ACN report claimed that the automobile giant was forced to contemplate relocation after the Jagan government asked companies to reserve 75 per cent of all jobs for locals and began reviewing financial incentives such as breaks on electricity tax and deferred land payments given to the company by the previous government.