The Hindu Business Line : Rs 900-cr expansion plan for Technopark, Infopark

‘Growth of IT industry in the State was above the average growth at the national level. Against an all-India growth of 17 per cent, it grew by 45 per cent in Kerala in 2008-09.’

Our Bureau

Thiruvananthapuram, May 20

Technopark-Thiruvananthapuram and Infopark-Kochi have approved annual expansion plans envisaging budgets of Rs 650 crore and Rs 250 crore respectively for 2009-10.

This was decided at general body meetings of the State’s two principal technology parks, the Chief Minister, Mr V. S. Achuthanandan, announced here on Wednesday.

Briefing newspersons on the decisions taken at the meetings, he said the Technopark would immediately start construction activities that would cost around Rs 100 crore.

Construction activities at the new IT parks at Ambalappuzha, Cherthala, Koratti and Kundara too would begin during the course of this financial year. At Koratti, the works will begin in October.

Mr Achuthanandan said the growth of IT industry in the State was above the average growth at the national level. Against an all-India growth of 17 per cent, the IT industry grew by 45 per cent in Kerala in 2008-09.

EMPLOYEE STRENGTH

“When this government came to power three years ago, the Infopark in Kochi had around 3,000 employees. Now the employee-strength has gone up to 8,000,” Mr Achuthanandan said.

The government’s expectation is that this number will go up to 40,000 in the next five years, he added.

Responding to a question, Mr Achuthanandan said that it appeared that the promoters of the delayed Smart City project in Kochi were experiencing the pinch of the economic crisis afflicting the world as a whole. He said this was his inference from certain “undeserving demands” they were now making on the State Government.

‘LACK OF PACE’

Peeved at the alleged ‘lack of pace’ on the part of the State government, Tecom, the promoters of the proposed Smart City project, has temporarily halted work on its project office in Kochi.

Tecom has cited the alleged reluctance of the State Government to include a clause regarding 12 per cent freehold land in the fresh lease as the reason behind adopting a tough posture.

Mr Fareed Abdulrahman, the Chief Executive Officer of Smart City Kochi, however, has said that the personnel already deployed for the project have not been pulled back.

NOT PULLED BACK

“The Smart City personnel assigned to Smart City Kochi are still heavily involved in the development of Smart City Kochi and have not been pulled back from their roles and responsibilities,” he said in a release issued last month.

However, the office at Josh Towers and the recruitment of additional human resources is on hold until the freehold issue is resolved,” Mr Abdulrahman said in the release.

Despite the differences of opinion on the issue of freehold land, Mr Abdulrahman made it clear that the project would not be dropped or shifted out of Kochi.

More Stories on : Infrastructure | Kerala

Article E-Mail :: Comment :: Syndication :: Printer Friendly Page

Stories in this Section
Nokia Siemens seeks CVC probe into BSNL’s tendering process

HCL Tech bags order from MTV Networks

Telenor hikes stake in Unitech Wireless to 49%

DoT offers exclusive Defence spectrum band

Rs 900-cr expansion plan for Technopark, Infopark

Yash Birla forays into IT sector

SatNav in pact with HTC

Four Soft gets Dutch certification

UST Global sees more opportunities for IT service cos