The Hindu Business Line : SmartCity top brass to meet Kerala Chief Secy today

The most important issue is inclusion of a clause pertaining to 12 per cent freehold land in the fresh lease. The State Government is of the opinion that the issue can wait till the master plan for the project is ready.

Our Bureau

Kochi, Sept. 8 A high-level team led by the SmartCity Chief Executive Officer, Mr Fareed Abdulrahman, will meet the Chief Secretary, Ms Neela Gangadharan, on Wednesday to discuss ways to remove impediments in the progress of the project.

A press statement issued by SmartCity from Dubai said the meeting would focus on the issues causing setbacks to the development of the project planned in Kochi. Once the issues are resolved, the planning and operational activities will be intensified. .

The issues included registration of the fresh lease and incorporating in it various provisions of the Framework Agreement signed between SmartCity and the State Government, and acquisition of 19 cents at the centre of a plot measuring 114 acres.

Following the cancellation of a board meeting in March, SmartCity had shut down its office in Kochi and redeployed the staff. The following month, it suspended the service of the agency drafted to draw up the master plan. In July, Mr Abdulrahman addressed a press meet in Kochi and said that if the issues are not resolved by December, SmartCity would have to do a rethink on the project.

Later, the Cabinet asked the Chief Secretary to look into the hurdles hampering the progress of the project and report. It was following this development that SmartCity officials agreed to clarify their points with the Chief Secretary.

Our Thiruvananthapuram Bureau adds: The Chief Minister, Mr V.S. Achuthanandan, has said that the promoters of the SmartCity project have come out with certain “unconvincing claims.”

Replying to questions in the State Assembly on Tuesday, the Chief Minister said that he was, however, hopeful of clearing the air through discussions with company delegates who are expected to be here on Wednesday.

According to him, the lease agreement signed with the company has become invalid and steps have been initiated for drafting a new one.

The Chief Minister observed that while local companies such as TCS, Infosys and UST Global have completed construction of at least five lakh sq ft of built-up space, Tecom was yet to start construction.

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