The Hindu : Kerala / Thiruvananthapuram News : Smart City comes for a price: Chandy

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Wednesday, Jul 04, 2007
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Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram

Smart City comes for a price: Chandy

Special Correspondent

Says LDF Government has given concessions to TECOM

Thiruvananthapuram: Leader of the Opposition Oommen Chandy on Tuesday questioned Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan’s claim that the Government had not conceded any concessions to Technology and Media Free Zone Authority, TECOM, the Dubai-based flagship company that is setting up the Smart City project in Kochi.

Basing his contentions on the information tabled in the Assembly to Opposition MLAs’ questions, Mr. Chandy said the State Government had agreed to several concessions relating to the price of land being acquired from private individuals, the Kerala State Electricity Board’s Brahmapuram property, and Kinfra land.

Mr. Chandy said with regard to the 136 acres of land to be acquired from private individuals, the Chief Minister had disclosed that the cost would come to Rs.74 crore. However, this would actually work out to Rs.100 crore if one were to take into account the court cases and other incidental expenses.

‘VS’ silence curious’

Mr. Chandy described as curious Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan’s silence on the CPI(M)’s lottery link and the Desabhimani bond controversy. Mr. Chandy reiterated the Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee’s demand fo r a CBI probe into the bonds issue.

Mr. Chandy said Mr. Achuthanandan had run a campaign against the lottery mafia when he was Leader of the Opposition alleging that the UDF Government had failed to recover Rs.5,000 crore as tax from lottery agents. Finance Minister T.M. Thomas Isaac had stated that the lottery dealers owed the Government Rs.8,000 crore. Mr. Achuthanandan had not taken a single step to recover the money, he said.

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