: Chief Minister Oommen Chandy’s Budget speech on Friday had a questionable claim about the SmartCity Kochi project
“Our Government could also inaugurate the 6.5 lakh sq ft space in Smart City, Kochi to provide a total employment to 90,000 of Kerala’s unemployed youth,” read a sentence in the preface to the Budget.
While the first part is correct about the size of the first IT building of SmartCity Kochi, which is set for inauguration next week, the same cannot be said about the second part.
Here, Mr. Chandy gave the impression that the 6.50 lakh sq ft building could generate 90,000 jobs, which in reality is the figure attainable only after the entire proposed built-up area of 88 lakh sq ft is completed, which, going by the chequered history of the long-delayed project appears far-fetched.
The new building, by the promoters’ own admission, cannot generate more than 5,500 jobs.
Now, whether the United Democratic Front would try to cash in on it in the forthcoming Assembly elections remains to be seen.
Apart from that mention, the Budget is rather silent about the State’s flagship IT project.
However, Baju George, CEO, SmartCity (India), said the government’s commitment is restricted to readying the supporting infrastructure like the four roads leading to the project.
“We had given our requests regarding infrastructure and the government would have considered it under appropriate heads in the Budget,” he said.
