Date:08/10/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/10/08/stories/2008100854040500.htm

Kerala - Kochi

SEZ exemption for Smart City project hailed

Staff Reporter

KOCHI: Fareed Abdulrahman, Chief Executive Officer of the Smart City, has thanked the Chief Minister and the Cabinet members for exempting the proposed Smart City Kochi project from the recently announced Special Economic Zone (SEZ).

“I take this opportunity to thank the Chief Minister, Chairman of Smart City Kochi, and all the Cabinet members for this important and fair decision. For us Smart City Kochi is more than a brick and mortar endeavour. This project represents the true spirit of the Malayali and it gives us immense pleasure to take it forward with the same deep fervour held by the people of Kerala,” he said in a statement issued from Dubai on Tuesday.

He said his organisation would “always place the interests of the people associated with the project in the forefront and any apprehensions in this regard are completely uncalled for.”

He described as “baseless” speculations that the project would be delayed. “We have already started work on the basic infrastructure requirements at the site and soon the local office will also be functional,” he added.