Date:08/10/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/10/08/stories/2008100858170300.htm

Kerala - Kochi

Blame game likely over SmartCity

Staff Reporter

The deadline for beginning construction
has expired.

KOCHI: With the deadline for starting the first phase of construction for the Smart City project having expired on October 2, the meeting of the board of directors of the project scheduled on October 13 is expected to witness some hard bargaining on either side.

While the government blames the promoters of the project for not completing the master plan and going ahead with the construction on 136 acres, which had already received the in-principal approval of the Board of Approval for Special Economic Zone (SEZ) of the Union Government, the promoters find fault with the government for not registering the land in their name.

Speedy relocation of the inhabitants of the project area, registration and exemption of stamp duty and launch of the first phase of construction are some of the topics expected to come up during the meeting.

Ahead of this, a special meeting has been convened on October 10, reportedly for exploring an “integrated approach to expedite the project.”

All the stakeholders, including Fisheries Minister S. Sarma who is the Chairman of Smart City, the District Collector, officials of Tecom, Electricity Department, Public Works Department and Information Technology Department, are expected to attend this brainstorming session scheduled to be held at Infopark.

Among other things, a proposal to return a portion of the land previously owned by the former Kerala State Electricity Board and the cost of moving its equipment is expected to come up at the meeting.

Meanwhile, Fareed Abdulrahman, Chief Executive Officer of the Smart City, has thanked the Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan 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 described as “baseless” speculation that the project would be delayed.