The Hindu : Front Page : `Government committed to Smart City'

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Sunday, Aug 06, 2006

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`Government committed to Smart City'

Special Correspondent

TALKS FRUITFUL: Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan holding talks with officials of the Dubai Internet City at his office in Thiruvananthapuram on Saturday. Photo: C. Ratheesh Kumar

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Chief Minister V. S. Achuthanandan has assured the officials of Dubai Internet City (DIC) that his Government was sincere and keen in bringing the Smart City project to fruition. He gave this assurance to the officials when they called on him at his office on Saturday.

The Smart City project, which the DIC wanted to promote at Kakkanad in Kochi, was thought to have been shelved after the LDF came to power. Mr. Achuthanandan, when in the Opposition, had opposed some of the conditions the previous Government had allowed in the agreement between the two sides for setting up the project.

The Chief Minister assured the team that they would get the Government's strong backing to make the project a success. He told them that Infopark, which is already functioning at Kakkanad as a Government institution, was faring extremely well and would surely develop into an IT hub like Technopark in Thiruvananthapuram. The State Government did not want to surrender its ownership and make it part of the proposed Smart City, as was envisaged earlier. With healthy competition in the sector, the DIC would fare much better than otherwise with its project, he said.

He told them that it was not good business on the part of the State Government to allow any company to monopolise IT infrastructure in any part of the State. The DIC had, earlier, wanted the Government not to promote any other IT park directly or as a joint venture in the Kochi region.

The Government would be going back on its promise to the people if such a condition was accepted, he said.

Mr. Achuthanandan said any extent of land required by the DIC for their project could be acquired and given to them for providing jobs in the IT sector. There was no confusion about the Government's stand.

Later, the Chief Minister told presspersons that the Government would draft an agreement and send it to the DIC shortly.

The DIC's representatives expect to return in a month's time to sign the agreement and get their project going without any further delay.

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