The Kerala and Dubai governments will jointly inspect the progress of the Kochi Smart City project on September 5. After inspection, Chief Minister Oommen Chandy may announce the inauguration date of the first phase of the project, as he will participate in the board meeting of Smart City the same day.
Confirming the date of meeting and inspection, State Chief Secretary Jiji Thomson said that the board of directors of Kochi Smart City will meet on September 5. In the presence of the Chief Minister, a joint inspection by the representatives of the Kerala and Dubai governments will be done in the project area.
“The first phase of the project has a built-up area of 6.5 lakh square feet. The date of its inauguration will be officially announced after the meeting of board of directors,” he said.
Besides, a slight change in the alignment of Smart City project area will also be made. The extension is envisaged with variation in the existing Metro alignment to Kakkanad, so that no further sanction from the Union Government is required.
Dubai Smart City CEO and Vice Chairman of Smart City Kochi Jaber Bin Hafez said it is a dream project of the State Government. It is a commitment to fulfil the aspirations of the citizens of Kerala, he added.
Meanwhile, several other proactive initiatives have been taken by the State Government that would strengthen investors’ confidence in the project.
Corroborating the initiatives, the Chief Secretary further said that the four-lane road from Edachira to Brahmapuram bridge will be completed by the month-end, and an investment of of Rs. 5.5 cr. is also required for the 900-meter road from Brahmapuram to Karimugal. The estimate has been submitted to the government for approval.
Along with this, the four-laning of the Edachira-Brahmapuram road is also slated to be completed by August 31. The government has also taken steps to reconstruct the road between IMG junction and Edachira junction.
