: Expressing dismay over the delay in delivering the promise on Technology Innovation Zone (TIZ), Chief Minister Oommen Chandy on Monday said that the 1.25 lakh sq.ft space for incubation would be completed in ten months.
Delivering the inaugural address at the launch of the first phase of 10,000 sq.ft at the Kinfra Hi-Tech Park at Kalamassery on Monday, Mr. Chandy said that it is unfortunate that the government could not meet the 20-month deadline it set in 2012 when it announced the student entrepreneurship policy.
The government’s initiative to promote start-ups has evoked a phenomenal response. The idea was to have 1,000 start-ups in ten years, and already 777 start-ups have emerged in just two years. It’s not just about the emergence of companies but it reflects a change in the attitude of youngsters, he said. This should be encouraged at any cost and the Rs. 500 crore created by making provision to set apart one per cent of the budget for start-up promotion would come in handy.
He said that the State government is even prepared to think of a package beneficial to landowners giving up land for development projects in addition to offering them market rates to find space for developing infrastructure.
But the problem is the obstinate attitude in not giving land despite the government’s very liberal compensation policy. This, he said, has been throwing spanner whether in the case of highway development or laying gas pipelines.
