Date:26/02/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/02/26/stories/2008022654060400.htm

Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram

Clearance must for IT investments

Special Correspondent

Home Minister Kodiyeri Balakrishnan

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The clearance of the Information Technology (IT) Department is imperative for investments in the sector, but the Industries Department is the nodal agency for according Special Economic Zone (SEZ) status, Home Minister Kodiyeri Balakrishnan has said. Replying to questions in the Assembly on Monday, Mr. Balakrishnan said the Industries Department had no role in clearing IT industries. The Minister was deputising for Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan.

There is no difference of opinion between IT and Industries Departments. Industries Minister Elamaram Kareem said the department had not given any clearance to Housing Development Infrastructure Limited (HDIL) for their project at Kalamassery. The government has got proposals from Kollam, Alappuzha, Kannur, Kozhikode, Kasaragod and Palakkad districts for setting up IT parks. The government had drawn up certain parameters for setting up the parks. Each district should provide 50 acre of land which has proximity to international airports, rail and road network as well as infrastructure facilities including power and water, he said.

The government had entrusted PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) to prepare a master plan for Smart City and also setting up the Kerala State IT Infrastructure Company.

Food and Civil Supplies Minister C. Divakaran said the Essential Commodities Control Act will be amended to check hoarding and black-marketing. Milk price will not be increased again.