The Hindu Business Line : KSHB signs MoU for habitat centre

THE Kerala State Housing Board (KSHB) and Housing and Urban Development Corporation Ltd (Hudco) have signed a memorandum of understanding for establishment of the Thiruvananthapuram Habitat Centre.

Modelled on the lines of the India Habitat Centre in New Delhi, the Thiruvananthapuram Habitat Centre will be set up by a special purpose vehicle to be created by Hudco and KSHB. Both entities will have an equal stake in this venture. The President, Mr A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, is scheduled to lay the foundation stone for the Thiruvananthapuram Habitat Centre on Thursday.

Speaking at a ceremony organised in connection with the signing of the memorandum of understanding, the Kerala Revenue and Housing Minister, Mr K.M. Mani, said Kerala is the first State in the country to invest in building a habitat centre. The total investment in the centre is expected to be Rs 60 crore, he added.

To be built on 3.5 acres of land in Thiruvananthapuram's Kowdiar neighbourhood, the habitat centre will have over 300,000 sq ft of built up space. Facilities at the centre will include a convention centre, an art gallery, exhibition halls, a library and learning centre and a food court, said Mr P.M. John, Secretary, KSHB and State Housing Commissioner.

Besides creating some of the social infrastructure required in an urban area such as Thiruvananthapuram, the habitat centre will also bring all habitat-related organisations in Kerala under one roof, he added. According to Mr John, work on the Thiruvananthapuram Habitat Centre is likely to be completed by June 2007. Environment-friendly materials will be used in the construction of the centre, which will be the first construction project in Kerala to be built according to Green Building Concepts.

Dr P. Jayapal, Regional Chief, Hudco, said the habitat centre in Thiruvananthapuram is part of a scheme to set up such facilities in all State capitals. Kerala is the first State to allot land for this initiative, he added. So far, Hudco has assisted Kerala in building 13 lakh houses and also in setting up 72 infrastructure-related projects, he said.

The Chairman of KSHB, Mr V.T. Sebastian, and Mr John Mathai, Principal Secretary-Revenue and Housing, also addressed the gathering.

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