The Hindu Business Line : Kerala Govt to revive Smart City talks on revised terms

TOUGH CALL
Land value to be realised from the promoters at the prevailing market rates or the rates applicable.
No ban on setting up other IT parks within the vicinity of the Smart City.

Thiruvananthapuram , July 26

The State Government proposes to hold talks with Dubai Internet City (DIC) officials in a renewed attempt to put the much-reviled Smart City project in Kochi on the track.

Announcing this, the Chief Minister, Mr V. S. Achuthanandan, told newspersons after a meeting of the State Cabinet here that the talks would be held on August 3 and 4 on `revised terms and conditions.'

The State Government has already informed the DIC authorities that those terms and conditions put forward and agreed upon earlier with the predecessor Government would not be acceptable to it.

Originally mooted by the UDF Government, the Rs 1,500-crore Smart City project had stumbled on objections mounted against the terms and conditions, which, according to their detractors, had amounted to `a sell-out of the State's painstakingly built IT infrastructure facilities.'

According to the revised terms, the contentious provision relating to hand over of the Infopark at Kochi would be done away with entirely. Neither would 100 acres of land be made available to the DIC promoters, as had been originally agreed to by the previous government. He added that the DIC would not be allowed to impose any condition that seeks to ban the setting up of other IT parks within the vicinity of the Smart City project.

The Government will also get to keep the Infopark premises at Kakkanad for itself. It would also be able to realise the land value from the promoters of the project at the prevailing market rates or the rates applicable to any other company in the IT sector.

The Government is also willing to allow the promoters to use a part of the previously notified commercial area in the Smart City to build quarters for IT professionals who work there.

It is learnt that the Chief Minister has deputed his Principal Secretary, Ms Sheela Thomas, and the new Information Technology Secretary, Mr P.G. Tenzing, to represent the State at the discussions with the visiting team of the DIC.

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