Smart City negotiations continuing in Kerala

Courtesy Gulf News
Published: 01/03/2007 12:00 AM (UAE)
By Akhel Mathew, Correspondent


Thiruvananthapuram: The Kerala Government has not received any reply from Dubai's Tecom Investments in connection with the Smart City project, Chief Minister V. S. Achuthanandan yesterday said.

Briefing reporters after the weekly cabinet meeting, he said: "Some minor issues still persist but the board of Tecom may discuss the matter and inform us later."

The chief minister had earlier announced that major issues that hampered the implementation of the ambitious project were settled during the two marathon talks held between the state government representatives and a team from Tecom, promoters of the Smart City project in the Kerala commercial capital of Kochi, a few days ago.

The chief minister had gone a step further asserting that the spectre of the project slipping out of Kerala had vanished. He had claimed that a consensus would be reached before the assembly session to be held tomorrow.

After numerous occasions that gave the impression that the project might go to Karnataka or Andhra Pardesh which were trying to woo Tecom, the latest roadblock the project has hit is the Kerala Government's stand on the Dubai party's demand for land freehold (holding of the project land for life).