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Kochi: After much dilly-dallying, the work on the proposed SmartCity Kochi project, promoted by the Dubai based Tecom, is expected to get a crucial kick-start in six months and a full-fledged office of SmartCity will also come up in Kochi within two months. These were some of the key decisions at the meeting of the Board of Directors of SmartCity Kochi which was held in Dubai, for the first time, on January 15, 2013.

Interacting with the media, Abdul Lathif Al Mulla, CEO, Tecom Investments said, “The SmartCity Kochi project is very important to us and a new team of officials headed by a CEO for Tecom operations in India would be appointed within the next 60 days to oversee the works. The revision of the project master plan will be complete by January 31.” The revision of the master plan was necessitated as it was prepared assuming that the Indian Government would grant SEZ status for the entire stretch of land but that decision is now pending.

Minister for Industries & IT, Shri P K Kunhalikutty said, “All the hurdles have been cleared and the aim is to complete the project as soon as possible. The new CEO would act as a link between the State Government and Tecom. Both sides are showing keen interest in this project which promises to attract major global players to Kochi. We got an assurance from the Dubai Government that the project would not be delayed further”. 

The project would be under the direct supervision of Al Mulla. A workshop to finalise a master plan will be held here on January 31. The Minister added that the workshop would be transparent and deal with all final details of the project and he expected Chief Minister Shri Oommen Chandy to attend the same.

The Kerala Government had recently expressed its unhappiness and concern about the tardy progress of the Rs.2,000 crore SmartCity Kochi project which has been in limbo for years. While laying the foundation stone for the first building of SmartCity Kochi (SCK-01) in June 2012, the Chief Minister had said that the first phase of the SmartCity Kochi project will be completed in 18 months.

Kerala IT News