Cochin (Kochi) / Ernakulam Projects II

[sathyalal]

Thapasya-Infopark

[arijeetb]

[QUOTE=sudheeshnairs]Hmm right Kronik, there are more clauses which the present Govt has turned down.

1) DIC will have a say in matters in the 2km radius around Smart City, (Like urban zoning laws etc.) It simply means DIC is the 'decision maker' in and around Smartcity. Can it be possible in a soveriegn democratic republic like India?.

2) Those coming to SmartCity will be having 'green channels' at Airport.


Yeah these kind of clauses questions the intentions of the promoters of the whole project which is not possible to be implemented in our country.It would be interesting to know how the West Bengal govt handles this since now they have proposed a much bigger project in Kolkata and there were talks of 1000 acres of land available in the Sector V/Rajarhat area for the Smart City project...


anyways...The solution for Kerala is to jump into the SEZ bandwagon and try to grab some big ones in the IT/manufacturing sector

[muttan]

About smart city... I feel so pissed even to talk about it. Nothing else can be expected from Kerala's present CM, the Master of idiocrasy, Mr. VS Achu-maman. He is 110% 1947 original commiee, he makes Mr. Gowda looks like MMS

[kayestee]

I read a news article in Manorama, yesterday ( could not find the english edition link to it ) , regarding setting up of knowledge city in Trivandrum and Cochin. The project is from a Gulf based ( non IT ) group , which has already had two round of talks with the chief minister .

I'm not sure whether this will come to fruition at all. It seems to me that the government is doing things in haste announcing many projects . Whether there was enough thought process put into these is anyone's guess. Well, any new project announcement is welcome as long as it is less rhetoric and more substance.

[sudheeshnairs]

It is Emaar, world's second biggest real estate firm.

Originally Posted by kayestee

I read a news article in Manorama, yesterday ( could not find the english edition link to it ) , regarding setting up of knowledge city in Trivandrum and Cochin. The project is from a Gulf based ( non IT ) group , which has already had two round of talks with the chief minister .

I'm not sure whether this will come to fruition at all. It seems to me that the government is doing things in haste announcing many projects . Whether there was enough thought process put into these is anyone's guess. Well, any new project announcement is welcome as long as it is less rhetoric and more substance.

[Ajaypp]

Yup, that's correct Sudheesh. Emaar seems to be extremely interested in the IT Corridor and Technocity project in Trivandrum and similar possibilities in Kochi. Btw, VS has invited DIC to reopen talks if they are ready to drop their shady demands. Let's see how they respond.

[sudheeshnairs]

Originally Posted by muttan

About smart city... I feel so pissed even to talk about it. Nothing else can be expected from Kerala's present CM, the Master of idiocrasy, Mr. VS Achu-maman. He is 110% 1947 original commiee, he makes Mr. Gowda looks like MMS

Muttan, there is no point in bashing VS. I can understand your mind since it was you who posted the news first in SSC, on December 16th, 2004. It is very much clear that the terms and conditions are not that much transparent and fair in the case of Smart City.

Now VS has said they are ready to welcome DIC, but on conditions like no free land or Infopark and like that. Anyway what is the need for free land? And the thing is that unlike other states, land is not available freely in Kerala. I dont know whether you are aware about the agitations and litigations by the local people. If INFOSYS, TCS, WIPRO, LEELA, L&T etc could be given land only on payment, why free land for DIC?

The Govt has made it clear that they welcome DIC if they can do away with the controversial clauses. There is no point in bashing them for being communists. Ideologically, I would be just opposite to a Communist, a white collar professional with a capitalistic mentality and lifestyle, but in the kerala situation, I feel they are better in many cases when compared with UDF. The present advancement in the social sector and 'egalitarian society', compared with the rest of India owes much to the communists.

Hope our political discussion ends here..

[sudheeshnairs]

View from 'Alpha Plaza', Kadavanthra, had gone there to an Architect's Office.

The building you see is a budget apartment by 'Star Homes'.

[sudheeshnairs]

No intention to sell Infopark, says Kerala

Staff Reporter

Government's policy on Smart City project conveyed to HC

KOCHI: The Kerala Government on Friday informed a Division Bench of the Kerala High Court that it did not intend to sell Infopark in Kochi to any private individual or agency.

Advocate General C. P. Sudhakar Prasad conveyed the new Government's stand to the Bench comprising Chief Justice V. K. Bali and Justice P. R. Raman when writ petitions against the Government decision to ink an agreement with the Dubai Internet City (DIC) for setting up the Smart City Project came up for hearing.

The Advocate General submitted that the Government was willing to explore joint venture with the DIC only if the Government got a fair share proportionate to the infrastructure facilities given to the company. The court had directed the Government to submit its new policy towards the Smart City Project when the petitions against the project came up last.

It was submitted that the Government proposed to promote the entire area of the Infopark as a "preferred location of the IT companies." In fact, another 100 acres of land were needed for further development of the area. The Government was willing to acquire the land and hand over the same to the DIC, provided the DIC paid market price and gave a firm commitment on keeping up the assurance of the number of jobs created and that the land would be utilised for IT development. The Government also informed the court that the rules now applicable to the Infopark and Technopark as mentioned in the IT policy of the Government would also be applicable to the DIC.

The Government was not willing to accept the conditions put forward by the DIC that no constructions by the Government would be allowed inside the land leased to it or that no IT companies should be allowed to function in the area. In the light of the submission, the petition filed by the Adhinivesa Prathirodha Samithi was disposed of.

[sudheeshnairs]

One more shot from Alpha Plaza, Kadavanthra, view towards MG road side.

[sudheeshnairs]

Skyline Marigold

[ubermeow]

^ A beautiful residential complex, and nicely captured in the lens

[sudheeshnairs]

Originally Posted by ubermeow

^ A beautiful residential complex, and nicely captured in the lens

More...

Club House


Club house entry



landscaped garden by the waterfront



Main apartment building.

[sathyalal]

view from Taj Malabar

[kronik]

DIC officials feel outSmarted

Dubai Internet City (DIC), the promoters of the proposed multi-crore Smart City project in Kochi, is toying with the idea of whether to visit Kerala again or not and start negotiations with the VS Achuthanandan-led LDF Government.

According to sources, the decision-makers at DIC are in a confused state following the LDF Government’s namesake invitation to them for further discussions on the controversial project.

The LDF Government had set an invitation to the DIC inviting them to discuss the project even as the government intimated its stand on the project with fresh conditions before the Kerala High Court recently.

“ It was a plain invitation, which did not touch upon any of the proposed alterations in the original proposed agreement. We are yet to be told about what are the points that the government wants to discuss”, sources in DIC told ‘This website’s newspaper’.

What had caused more confusion in the inner circles of the DIC is that despite the drastic changes proposed by the government in the document submitted before the court, the telephonic communication from the office of Chief Minister VS Achuthanandan informed the DIC representatives that handing over of ‘Infopark’ to DIC as part of the project proposal was the only major point of dispute that is to be overcome between the government and the DIC to carry forward the project.

All other issues can be discussed and sorted out, the communication from the Kerala Government say, DIC sources said.

[sudheeshnairs]

Had gone to Kochi for one day on saturday (15/07/06), on a busy schedule.

These shots are from a moving vehicle.

Entering Kochi, this is aroor bridge on NH 47 Kochi bypass.



Another bridge, after this it is 'Maradu'



Le Meridien Hotel and Convention Centre as seen from the Bypass



Vyttila Jn, to the right you can enter downtown ernakulam and to the right is tripunithura.

[sathyalal]

Janashatabdi express crossing vembanadu lake

[sudheeshnairs]

Now we reach Palarivattom Jn at NH bypass, to the right is Kakkanad.



Airport-Seaport road, Muthoot Technopolis is seen ahead.

[kronik]

nice pics Sudheesh.

These pics are from the website of Holyfaith Builders.

http://holyfaithbuilders.com/h20-picture.htm





The project is H20, a 20 floor building visible in the first picture.

[kayestee]

Just a curiosity.

Does anyone know what is floor to area ratio in Kochi Corporation. H2O is a 20 floor building on 74 cents of land. On average , if we take 8000 sq feet per floor ( based on the plan ) , the floor to area ratio will be above 5. That is quite high I believe. I did read reports recently regarding residents in the city protesting against high rise built on small piece of land.