Chandy gave no suggestions on Smart City: CM

Thiruvananthapuram, May 19 (UNI) Kerala Chief Minister V S Achutanandan today criticised the Opposition Leader in Kerala Assembly Oommen Chandy for his queries on the Smart City Agreement.

Speaking at the 'Oru Varsham-Varum Varsham' (One year-coming year) programme organised by the Thiruvananthapuram Press Club on the completion of the first year of the Left Democratic Front government, Mr Achutanandan said the Opposition Leader has not given any creative suggestions regarding the draft agreement even though it was sent to him before the final Pact with the Dubai Technology and Media Free Zone Authority (TECOM).

After the Cabinet nod to the draft agreement, it was sent to the Opposition leader for his suggestions and opinions. The final agreement was signed only after 20 days.

Now, Mr Chandy has come up with questions. Without raising questions, he should have given his suggestions and opinions, he told reporters here.

''After the agreement, Mr Chandy has come up with questions. He has not given any suggestion but only asked certain questions which does not deserve an answer,'' Mr Achutanandan said and added when the LDF was in the opposition, it had pointed out the faults and also gave its opinion regarding the Smart City.

On Mr Chandy's query about job opportunities and specific question of deleting the word ''direct'' regarding jobs, he said the agreement signed by the UDF did not specify ''direct jobs'' but only ''cumulative jobs''. ''We had deleted the word cumulative from the agreement as it was not in the interest of the state.

Mr Chandy had said the previous UDF government's pact with the Dubai based TECOM was of creating 30,000 direct jobs.

In the new agreement, TECOM had agreed that they ''shall make best efforts to create 90,000 jobs.'' On the value of the 100 acres of the Kerala State Electricity Board and the ten acre KINFRA land in the total 246 acre land given for Smart City, Mr Achutanandan said all the lands were given on lease and there was no need to differentiate between them. In the UDF agreement, it was stated that some land would be given on lease and the other portion sold to the company.

Stating that the total investment of Rs 17,000 crore had not been changed, he said the initial investment came to Rs 120 crore from Rs 240 crore only because according to the UDF agreement, the value of the Infopark was also included in it. ''Now the Infopark remains with the government and not with the TECOM as was agreed by the UDF,'' he said.

Mr Chandy had also said that it was not practical for the government to purchase 26 per cent of share after five years. To this Mr Achutanandan said Mr Chandy had no right to say this as it is an increase of share. ''When in Opposition, I had told Mr Chandy that the share of the government was not sufficient. That time he had told me that the Dubai company was not willing to give more shares.'' UNI