THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The much-touted International Convention Centre Complex (ICCC) project proposed at Akkulam in Thiruvananthapuram by the state government is set to be revived. The project was in cold storage for over a decade due to various reasons, including CRZ restrictions as a portion of the land was identified as wetland. However, the state tourism department has made this project a priority due to the high demand for MICE (meetings, Incentives, conferences, and exhibitions) tourism in the capital.
The state government had earmarked 49 acres of land near the National Institute of Speech and Hearing for the project. In 2007, the government entered into an agreement with K Raheja Corporation to implement the project under the public-private participation (PPP) model and laid the foundation stone for the same in 2008. The Kerala Tourism Infrastructure Limited (KTIL) was also entrusted with the implementation and coordination of the project.
Sources close to the tourism department said that the Raheja Corporation itself took the initiative to implement the project. A first round of discussion was held between the state government and the Raheja Corporation to revive the project. The trade bodies have also extended support to the project in view of the upcoming Vizhinjam port. The project will be implemented in such a way that the complex will be built on dry land. On the entire 49 acres of land, 85 per cent is dry land, and the remaining 15 per cent is wetland. However, the decision on the wetland is yet to be taken, sources said.
“The state government is moving ahead with the project. Raheja Corporation also evinced interest in reviving the project. So the talks are on, and further proceedings will be taken in the coming meetings which will be held soon. There are some sanctions that need to be received. So all these will be discussed, and a comprehensive plan will be prepared to implement the project at the earliest,” a senior official with KTIL told TNIE.
It was after the revenue survey that the land identified for the project was demarcated into dry and wetlands. The government had earlier suggested constructing the complex in the dry area and maintaining the wetland as such.
KTIL was also told to revise the detailed project report (DPR), including the master plan, in 2019, as the features and amenities included in the project were outdated. The official ground-breaking of the project was planned for 2020, but it was dropped due to the pandemic. “The pandemic affected the project. However, the DPR and the revised master plan were prepared and completed by KTIL,” a revenue official said.
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