Minister for Registration and Civil Supplies Anoop Jacob has said the proposed electronics and hardware hub will be set up in Amballoor panchayat.
The Minister was reacting to reports that the Kerala State Industrial Development Corporation was in search for an alternative site in Kochi as the 300-odd acres identified in Amballoor could not be reclaimed as per the Kerala Conservation of Paddy Land and Wetland Act.
Stating that he had taken up the matter with the Chief Minister and the industries minister, Mr. Jacob said the State government was determined to set up the project in Amballoor as promised by the UDF government.
“The move [to shift location] has not come to my notice. The land can be exempted from the Kerala Conservation of Paddy Land and Wetland Act as it is for a public purpose. The hub will be set up in an eco-friendly way so as to preserve the rivulets in the area,” the Minister said. K.F. Kuriakose, Amballoor panchayat president, felt the move to shift the location might have been taken following pressure tactics by land mafia. He hoped that a favourable decision would be taken during this Assembly session. He accused the KSIDC of not playing a pro-active role in bringing the project to Amballoor.
