A smart route map for Kochi Metro Rail

The dream IT project of Kochi, the Smart City, may soon get metro rail connectivity. The state government has decided to extend the alignment of Kochi Metro Rail to the proposed Smart City site.

The authorities will soon start the study for foxing the alignment for the new route. “We have decided to extend the alignment. It will be fixed without much delay,” said Minister Aryadan Mohammed who is in charge of the Railways in the state.
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Kerala Chief Minister:No need for anxiety with regard to Kochi Metro project

Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy today said there was no need for any anxiety with regard to land acquisition for the much delayed Kochi Metro Rail project, which is now estimated to cost about Rs 5000 crore. The land acquisition process has to be completed within six months. The government would be formulating a new land acquisition policy keeping in mind the hardships of those who were forced to surrender their land at Moolampally, he said.

Those giving land for development projects would be entitled to various concessions and would also get market value for their land, Chandy said addressing a high level meeting of ministers, MLAs and businessmen on the Kochi Metro Rail project. The Kochi metro would be a transparent project and all information would be available on the website. Within a month, an office of the project would be opened here, he said. The government had set apart Rs 25 crore for widening of the Thammanam-Pullepady road, which would be used to divert traffic once the North overbridge, the busiest in Kochi, is widened.
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SmartCity Kochi project set to finally take off by October

The much awaited SmartCity Kochi project got a fresh set of deadlines and impetus today after a meeting of the delegates from Tecom, the promoters of the SmartCity Kochi project, with the Kerala Government in Trivandrum. Tecom would reopen its Kochi office before August 31, 2011 and present the concept master plan by September. The work on the first phase 3.5 lakh sq.ft. building would start by October 31 and this would be rolled out by October 31, 2012.

Briefing the media, Chief Minister Shri Oommen Chandy said, “This is the realisation of a long cherished dream. The SmartCity Kochi project has been finalised and new deadlines have been set. The project would be carried out within the framework of the existing agreement worked out by previous Government. As any change in the agreement at this stage would further delay the project, we opted against it. However a major change is that now the Central Government SEZ norms will be applicable to this project.”

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First phase of Smart City Kochi project to be commissioned soon

The first phase of the proposed mega IT project, Smart City Kochi, would be commissioned before Oct 31, 2012, Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy said Thursday.
The Oommen Chandy-led United Democratic Front (UDF) government, which had first finalised the project during its previous term, held its first meeting Thursday with the builder of the project, Smart City Dubai.

Addressing reporters here along with the Dubai officials, Chandy said all the issues have been cleared and an action plan for the project has been drawn up.

‘Before August 31 this year, their office that was closed down last year at Kochi would be reopened. On Oct 31, the foundation stone of the headquarter building of the project would be laid and the same day the construction work for the first phase (3.5 lakh square feet) would begin and it would be finished latest by Oct 31, 2012,’ said Chandy.

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