Foundation stone for Smart City to be laid on Nov 16

Thiruvananthapuram, Nov 14 (UNI) The foundation stone for the Rs 1,500-crore Smart City project to be built by the Dubai Internet City (DIC) will be laid at Kochi on November 16, Chief Minister V S Achuthanandan said today.

Briefing newspersons here after a meeting of the state Cabinet, the Chief Minister said the co-existence of Techonpark and Infopark in the public sector and the Smart City in the private sector would give a major boost to the Information Technology in the state.

The project was delayed for several month due to political controversies surrounding it.

The inauguration of the Kollam-Kottapuram National Waterways would be held on November 20, he said adding the Kollam-Kovalam and Kottapuram-Vadakara state waterways would be operational within two years.

The Chief Minister said the state government had submitted a proposal for Rs 20 crore to develop a waterway from Nedumbasseri Airport to Eloor. If the project became a reality, it would be the first waterway in the country connecting a sea port and airport.

The work on the project could be completed within 18 months once the Centre approved it.

He said an eight-member panel headed by eminent jurist Justice V R Krishna Aiyer had been constituted to make timely changes and streamline the existing laws.

UNI