KOCHI: The commercial hub and capital city of Kerala were prominent in the Governor’s policy address in the state Assembly. Metro Rail and Smart City in Kochi along with Operation Anantha and Vizhinjam International Transshipment Terminal in Thiruvananthapuram were highlighted in the policy address. However, the government has not come up with any major initiatives.
KOCHI METRO
Addressing the Assembly, the Governor said that his government had ensured the realisation of some of the major infrastructure projects of Kerala. And the first among them would be the Rs 5,181 crore Kochi Metro Rail Project from Aluva to Pettah, the first phase of which will be over by June 2016, he said. “This project will ensure an eco-friendly and a public friendly transportation. It is going to serve 4.12 lakh people in 2017, 5.19 lakh people in 2021 and 7.57 lakh people by 2031. Not stopping with Kochi, my government has also signed an agreement with DMRC for the proposed Light Metro Rail projects at Kozhikode and Thiruvananthapuram for an estimated cost of Rs 6,728 crore,” he said.
SMART CITY
The much acclaimed project Smart City project in Kochi also found mention in his address. The first phase of Kochi Smart City, spread over 246 acres will be inaugurated on February 20. Smart City will generate job opportunities for around 5,500 knowledge-based professionals in its first IT building - SCKOI. The second phase comprising of seven IT buildings with a built up area of 47 lakh square feet and an international school for 3,400 students, will incur an investment of Rs 1,900 crores entirely upon completion. The second phase will create additional 90,000 direct jobs and is set to transform the IT face of Kerala, the Governor said.
START UPS
The 405 start ups incubated at the Start Up Village here has become a role model which the entire country is following now, Sathasivam said. He also mentioned that the visionary approach of his government has led to the declaration of the first ever Start Up policy in India named ‘Kerala Technology Start Up policy’. The Governor also mentioned in his policy address that flyovers at Palarivattom and Edappally will be completed within 18 months. He also said that the first-ever state-of-the-art waste to energy plant is going to be set up at Brahmapuram for which all tendering formalities have been completed. Steps are also being taken to start the first plastic processing plant in Kochi Corporation, he added.