Chief Minister Oommen Chandy has said that the Public-Private-Partnership (PPP) cell under the Department of Urban Affairs would be strengthened for the time-bound processing of Expressions of Interest signed at the Partner Kerala investors’ meet and to ensure speedy response based on a pragmatic approach.
Addressing investors on the second day of the meet here on Tuesday, Mr. Chandy said apprehensions that government land would be sold to private parties as part of the PPP projects reached at the meet were misplaced.
“Land is pivotal to any development project but it would be used protecting the interests of the State and the local bodies concerned. The important thing is to have results,” he said.
Mr. Chandy said the government had been taken aback by the response to the student entrepreneurship programme.
“When we pledged infrastructure support, we were expecting 100-150 youngsters to respond. But now more than 1,000 innovative concepts were in queue at the Startup Village and the government is struggling to keep its promise of extending infrastructure support for three years. This proves that given the opportunities, we can flourish,” the Chief Minister said.
