The Hindu : Kerala / Kochi News : Expressway opens a direct link to Infopark

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Monday, Jun 28, 2010
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Expressway opens a direct link to Infopark

Special Correspondent

Second phase development of Infopark to begin next month

Athulya built at a cost of Rs. 95 crore
One third of the building's floor space already taken by IT companies: Sarma

KOCHI: With the opening of the 2.4 km four-lane Expressway on Sunday, the access to Infopark, which is in for a massive second-phase development, has vastly improved.

The Expressway, built at a cost of Rs.30 crore after a long delay following squabbles over land acquisition, opens a direct link to Infopark from the Seaport-Airport road. It has also reduced the distance for vehicles taking the road from Irumpanam.

The road, which takes off from near the Chithirappuzha river bridge, was to have improved road access to Smartcity, but the project is yet to take off.

Though the Expressway had been delayed, the Athulya IT building which it would serve along with other IT ventures at Infopark, was opened ahead of time. The Rs.95-crore building, which was opened on Sunday by the Chief Minister, as also the Expressway, could be completed within 16 months, instead of the estimated 18 months.

Fisheries Minister S. Sarma, who presided over the opening ceremony, pointed out that nearly a third of the 5.5 lakh sq. ft. building's floor space had already been taken by IT companies.

Mr. Sarma said the Rs.2,800-crore second phase development work would begin next month. By the time the project was completed in six years, it would help create one lakh jobs in the IT sector.

Referring to SmartCity, he pointed out that its promoters had raised an additional demand which was out of the earlier agreement with the government. They insisted on having free-hold with the right to sell 10 percent of the land—roughly 30 acres—to be handed over to them. The current fair-value alone of these 30 acres was Rs.300 crore, while the lease rent on the 243 acres the government would lease to the company for 99 years would fetch only Rs.104 crore. This was absolutely unacceptable to the government, he said.

Transport Minister Jose Thettayail said now that the Expressway was open, the KSRTC could consider running additional trips of its low-floor buses to Infopark.

Ajay Kumar, principal secretary, IT, said Infopark could export software worth Rs.800 crore last year.

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