The Kochi Smart City project may get technical and financial support from Germany.
Taking part in a workshop on Smart Cities conducted here on Friday, Martin Ney, German Ambassador to India, expressed his country’s willingness to support the Kochi project.
Mayor Soumini Jain, who attended the deliberations, said the Germans seemed keen on extending support to projects in transport and allied sectors. The visiting delegation may pick the projects they wish to support in terms of technology and funding. The financial support would be in the form of soft loans, said Ms. Jain.
Kochi would have to complete the technical formalities, including the formation of project management committees.
Tenders had been floated for the formation of the committees which would lead the projects in the city. The German technical support may come in handy for the formulation of the projects, she said.
The workshop was co-hosted by the German consulate and the Cochin Smart Mission Limited.
The Mayor said this was the first major international offer to extend financial and technical support for the mission, though a few other agencies had evinced interest in the Kochi projects.
K.T. Jaleel, Minister for Local Self Government, urged international agencies to extend financial support to the Smart City projects.
Elias George, chief executive officer, Cochin Smart Mission Limited; K. V. Thomas, M.P.; P. T. Thomas, Hibi Eden and K. J. Maxi, MLAs; Deputy Mayor T.J. Vinod; K. J. Antony, leader of the LDF in the Kochi Corporation Council; Anand Mohan, Director, Ministry of Urban Development; and Amit Meena, Kochi Corporation Secretary, attended the workshop.
