Kerala IT township project off
June 14th, 2009 - 6:19 pm ICT by IANSKochi, June 14 (IANS) Smart City Dubai, a Gulf-based company that is into setting up self-sustained townships for knowledge-based industries, Sunday said it was no longer interested in its proposed Rs.1,500-crore ($316 million)-IT township project in this state.
In a statement, the company said it has withdrawn the contract with UK-based master planner Collin Buchnan company to develop the Smart City Kochi IT township project.
“We regret to inform all those concerned that we have been forced to close our contract with the internationally renowned UK-based Master Planning Consultants,” said company chief executive Fareed Abdul Rahman in a press statement.
The statement comes two weeks after Smart City Dubai urged the state government June 1 to sort out the issue of freehold land, and wanted an assurance that 12 percent of the land for the project be freehold.
The company said despite its “best efforts to sort out issues by way of action”, it has “only heard statements” in the media about more discussions on the subject of freehold.
“After our recent press meeting, it was said that Smart City will come to know of the Government of Kerala’s decision by the first week of June. Once the Government of Kerala takes action in resolving the pending issues and we mutually agree on the way forward, the Master Planners will recommence developing Smart City Kochi,” said Rahman.
The Smart City Kochi project’s foundation stone was laid Nov 16, 2007 by Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan. Since then, there has been no progress.
Achuthanandan has accused the Dubai-based developer of making “unreasonable demands”.
The proposed project, to be jointly launched by the state government and Smart City Dubai, is slated to come up on a 246-acre plot with 8.8 million square feet of built-up space, of which 70 percent is earmarked for IT and IT-enabled services.
The government has already given the special economic status to 136 acres of the project land and is yet to get the same for the remaining land.
But it has not completed the registration of the land and not settled the stamp duty issue.
- Talks on stalled Kerala project to commence next month - Aug 21, 2009
- Kerala to serve ultimatum to Smart City Dubai on Kochi project - Sep 02, 2010
- Kerala delaying Kochi project, insists Smart City Dubai - Dec 02, 2010
- Kerala CM snubs minister on IT park project - Jun 17, 2009
- Last letter to Smart City Dubai on Kochi project: Achuthanandan - Nov 30, 2010
- Kochi infotech project off the blocks - Feb 23, 2011
- Kerala, Dubai firm to discuss delayed Kochi project Wednesday - Sep 08, 2009
- First phase of Smart City Kochi project to be commissioned soon - Jun 23, 2011
- Decks cleared for Kochi infotech project - Feb 02, 2011
- Spadework begins on Smart City Kochi - Oct 08, 2011
- Smart City Dubai serves ultimatum to Kerala government - Dec 14, 2009
- Kerala finally clears Smart City project (Lead) - Feb 02, 2011
- Dubai firm asks Kerala goverment to abide by agreement - Mar 25, 2010
- Smart City CEO comes to get drunk: Achutnanandan (Lead) - Dec 31, 2010
- Congress backs Kochi infotech project - Dec 09, 2010
Tags: acre plot, best efforts, chief executive, chief minister, economic status, foundation stone, june 14, knowledge based industries, kochi, master planner, master planners, planning consultants, proposed project, smart city, square feet, state government, townships, unreasonable demands, v s achuthanandan