Fareed Abdulrahman, Chief Executive Officer of SmartCity, the promoters of the proposed SmartCity Kochi project, has lamented the absence of a campaigner on the part of the State government to drive the cause of the project.
According to information reaching here, Mr. Abdulrahman is said to have told the reporters on the sidelines of a function in Dubai on Wednesday that while the SmartCity had entrusted him with all responsibilities related to the project, such a keyperson was missing on the government side.
He said while the Chief Secretary had been the contact person for the project, that post had been occupied by quite a few persons. Comparing the situation with the company's similar project at Malta, Mr. Abdulrahman said there a Minister had been entrusted with handling the project all along.
He said that the delay in the implementation of the project had adversely affected the image of SmartCity.
Asked who stood to lose due to non-implementation of the project, Mr. Abdulrahman said SmartCity was definitely a loser with its investment of Rs.120 crore remaining blocked along with its inability to utilise the land designated for the project. People who had hopes of better prospects on the implementation of the project would also be disappointed as also the people of the State, he said.
Regarding the controversial issue of 12 per cent freehold for the promoters, disagreement over which was holding up the project, Mr. Abdulrahman said since SmartCity Kochi had a board of directors, the promoters cannot take any decision on the utilisation of freehold land unilaterally.
Asked about SmartCity Kochi chairman S. Sarma's statement that the government would pursue legal solutions as SmartCity was backing out of the project, Mr. Abdulrahman womdered how such rumours were spread. SmartCity had not informed the government at anytime that it was backing out from the project, he said.
