Smart City work to start after SEZ notification : Sarma

Kochi, Oct 13 (UNI) The Smart City Director Board meeting under the chairmanship of Kerala Fisheries Minister S Sarma today decided that the first phase construction work on the Rs 1,500 crore Smart City project here would commence after getting the notification conferring SEZ status to the land earmarked for the project.

Addressing newspersons after the fourth board meeting here, Mr Sarma said though the construction work would start only after getting the SEZ notification for 136 acres of land, allied works like availing water and electricity supply, fencing work and soil testing would be completed.

''The SEZ notification would be issued for 136 acres of land out of 246 acres allotted for the project only after the SEZ Commissioner visits the land,'' he informed.

Mr Sarma said the core committee, which was constituted under Ernakulam District Collector Dr M Beena to sort out outstanding issues relating to relocation of building and materials of the Kerala State Electricity Board and a Public Works Department road, which were located on the land for the project, would submit its report by October 18.

He said the London-based master planners for the project, Colin Buchanan, would be meeting local officials this week as part of their preliminary work to prepare the master plan for the project.

Asked whether the global financial meltdown would affect the project, Smart City, Kochi Vice-Chairman Rasheed Latif Al Mulla said '' there is always a contingency plan for us as all projects carries an inherent risk.'' Besides, Mr Sarma and Mr Rasheed, Smart City, Kochi CEO Fareed Abdul Rahman, Business Development Officer Mithun Beeru, State IT Secretary Ajayakumar, Smart City Strategy Director Jin Wan Chou and other Board members were present.

UNI MA ROY LS KN2017