Govt approves Smart City project

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The state cabinet today approved in principle a Rs 1,500 crore 'Smart City' project to be implemented at Kochi by the Dubai Internet City (DIC), Chief Minister Oommen Chandy announced today.



The state Govenment will sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the DIC shortly, the chief minister told newspersons here after a meeting of the state cabinet.



Stating that the Law and Finance Departments had been asked to study the draft MoU, he said the Smart City project, in which the government would have nine per cent equity participation, would generate 33,300 direct employments within the next ten years.



In the first phase, the DIC would invest Rs 1,500 crore for the project.



All the issues relating to the handing over of the land had been sorted out, he said, adding the Info Park and surrounding 62.27 acres of land would be given to the DIC at a cost of Rs 109 crore.



Another 136 acres of land in the vicinity would be handed over to them at Rs 36 crore.



As part of the state government's IT policy under which those who create 100 job opportunities could be given 30 cents of land, the government would give another 100 acres of land free of cost to the DIC which promised to generate 33,300 job opportunities in a phased manner within the next ten years.



Chandy, who visited the Dubai Internet City during his two-day Gulf tour, said the Smart City would also have world class infrastructure to woo major companies to Kerala.



Denying the charges of Leader of the Opposition V S Achuthanandan that corruption was involved in the land deal with the DIC, Chandy said the entire process would be done in a transparent manner