A seaplane service will be introduced in connection with the Emerging Kerala 2012 meet to be held here in September. Steps are afoot to identify land for the purpose, Chief Minister Oomen Chandy said.
The meet aims to bring together investors and encourage them to invest in Kerala. The seaplane service is a preliminary step in that direction, he said. Mr. Chandy was speaking after laying the foundation stone for the office cum boat terminal of the Goshree Islands Development Authority here on Saturday.
The boat terminal will be able to berth ferries transporting people from the city to the Goshree islands and other isles abutting the city that are not connected by water transport. The need for this had been mentioned in GIDA's draft master plan, so that people have a fast, economical and eco-friendly mode of transport.
The three-storeyed, 700 sq.metre building would come up within eight months on 15 cents of land in the Goshree-Chatiath Road, said District Collector P.I. Sheik Pareed.
The cost is Rs. 6.33 crore and the construction will be done by Aluva-based FIT. The ground floor would be used for parking cars. The GIDA office will be shifted from Revenue Tower once the structure is ready. Tenders have been floated through the KITCO for manufacturing modern boats.
