Smart City Kochi foundation to be laid on November 16

The foundation stone for the Rs15bn ($381mn) Smart City project to be built by the Dubai Internet City (DIC) will be laid on November 16, an official said yesterday.

Joseph C Mathew, IT adviser to Kerala Chief Minister V S Achuthanandan said that a high-level delegation from Dubai will attend the ceremony.

“DIC officials are now working on the master plan of the project. It would take almost a year for the work to commence on the buildings. First, they will have to build two bridges and then two years from now, the first phase of the project will be ready,” Mathew said.

The project has come under a cloud since former Kerala chief minister Oommen Chandy last Monday asked the state government to come clean on the changes made in the deal.

Rubbishing the charges made by Chandy, Achuthanandan on Friday said the opposition is raking up issues unnecessarily. “Our agreement with the DIC is much better than what they made,” he said.
Chandy, who began discussions with the DIC more than three years ago, said he would not be able to attend the foundation-laying ceremony as he would be in Delhi for the All India Congress Committee meeting.

“I am handing over a letter to Achuthanandan asking him to explain why he has made many changes after the project was cleared by the cabinet. The government order to this effect indicates that the changes were made because the DIC was insisting on it. The people of Kerala wish to know why these changes were made. It is detrimental to the interests of the state,” said Chandy. – IANS

Source:Gulftimes