Comments on: HDIL Cyber City back on track!

By: Kochi Cochin

Kochi Cochin — Sat, 09 Jan 2010 06:04:58 +0000

Hello Scorpio

Cybercity cleared all hurdles yesterday when Supreme Court ruled in favour of HDIL’s land purchase from HMT. Not that there was any serious challenges, but a prolonged court case could have caused delay. With this path is clear in front of Cybercity. State govt has also recommended SEZ status for Cybercity.

By: Palash

Palash — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 10:24:47 +0000

Check out KochiNow forum for more details

By: Palash

Palash — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 10:23:17 +0000

Let me add, HDIL Cybercity plans with 70% area for processing (IT) and 30% for
support activities is in front of Chief Town Planner of Kerala. Copy can also be
availed of from Kalamassery Municipality which first gave sanction (remember
Kalamassery municipality is ruled by Congress).

By: Palash

Palash — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 10:16:52 +0000

Anand > The HMT land was given to them for industrial development. When GoK wanted to take bake the excess land unused by HMT, HMT secured a High court stay on it. As a legal settlement GoK gave 100 acres
to HMT with exemption from Kerala Land Reforms Act, in Y2K and took back 350 acres. HMT had every right to do anything with the land – sell it or keep it. Only condition was that the land must be put for industrial
use as per Industrial policies of the govt. There were many runners for the land in the bidding process held in 2005, including the Raheja – the then owner of Asianet !! Remember Oommen Chandy was in power and he said nothing against it then. The sale agreement was signed between successful bidder HDIL and HMT.
By then govt changed and the transfer of land needed govt approval. This approval was given by present
Industries minister and Revenue minister under two conditions.
1. The amount raised by HMT must be used for expansion of its Kalamassery plant (and not plants in other states)

2. HDIL must use the land for industrial purpose.

On the stone laying day of Cybercity, two and a half years after bidding, Asianet raked up “controversy” fully knowing that HC will clear the deal. Their hope was that HDIL would be scared by the controversy and ditch the deal the land would come for bidding again and Raheja could have a go again. However nothing of that sort happened and Asianet lost its face (if at all there was one).
Living upto the the buffoons they are, Oommen Chandy & Co. jumped in like Don Quixotes to take political mileage. However it was damp squib as Union minister Santosh Mohan Deb (Congress) cleared the deal.

Some common public also got conned in the process. If you see the way litigation went 99.99 % HC lawyers could predict the outcome correctly – there was no case at all on the side of litigants and they lots badly. They claim they’ll approach SC – they have not yet. It is a question of whether they will or not – but outcome will not change.

And finally VS Achutanandan’s game was a devious one in this. He said he did not know about the project, which turned out to be a lie. Newspapers dug out the letter he received from HDIL and details of their meetings.
Then he backtracked. His concern was simple, keep the competition for TECOM the least. He aided media by circulating copies of the documents and insinuating that the deal was illegal.

By: scorpiogenius

scorpiogenius — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 18:29:59 +0000

@ Arun Mohan, it IS a grave truth that many IT projects are well-disguised real estate project, I agree. But we also have enough emphasis on all the sectors you mentioned sans Air Transit. We are planning Food Parks/Spice Parks in Adoor and Idukki, we have rubber park in Muvattupuzha, we are second to none in marketing our state to tourists, we have Aircraft Yards u/c in CIAL & TIA, GoI is considering Poovar for a ship-buiding/repair yard.. so its not only about IT. But the emphasis is on it as the niche industry we could sustain.

And lets not forget that we have stringent laws to make sure that at least 70% of the built up space must be for IT and ITES. So I don’t think GoK will be taken for a ride by these Real Estate barons by showing off glitzy IT buildings in the masterplan and then replace it with apartments.

@ Anand, YES, the high court has waved the green flag for the selling of land to Cyber City promoters.

By: TheAnand

TheAnand — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 18:07:57 +0000

@Arun Mohan,

Spot on about the real estate deal under the wraps of IT Parks. Thats the truth right there.

@scropiogenius,

Did court rule in favor of HMT to sell their land to cyber city?

By: Arun Mohan

Arun Mohan — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 16:48:07 +0000

I agree to Anand’s viewpoints….. Whether a project comes in Kochi or in any part of state, it makes no sense, as we do have over emphasis on IT sector, without focusing other areas. IT sector can make big, provided we have other sectors, equally working, because all sectors of Industry is equally connected. Perhaps, we not able to support huge scale projects for automobiles etc which requires vast lands, which may not suit to our eco-system. But still we have millions of small industries that produces small units require for automobiles. We can have electronics parks, producing various electronic components, electronic equipments etc. Think about having parks for various food processing units, including producing many chips, other edibles, which donot pollute…… We should think other sectors like fish processing units, trade and commerce, ship repairs, shipyards, aeroyards, air transits, tourism etc.

Rather our government has no focus with only focus only on IT…. And many of these projects are basically not IT, mere real estate projects with a wrap IT cover. There is nothing wrong with real estate, but when our state is having acute land shortage, we should rethink in focusing more on real estate, without thrust on other sectors, for which these lands can be used…………

By: scorpiogenius

scorpiogenius — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 07:42:46 +0000

@ Anand, Kerala could still do better with more private investments like this. You very well know the situation in Bangalore and co where you have dozens of IT Parks double the size of our Infopark. We’re still gasping with the one Technopark and one Infopark and flagging a dead Smart City. So my PoV is allow the private capital to flow into the state instead of depending on the GoK for constructing IT Parks.

The taxpayers money could be channelized into roadworks and necessary infrastructure instead of building up Technology Parks in every village. We want entrepreneurs, no different opinion there, but building of necessary IT Infrastructure must be visualized on a different plane.

Just my 0.02$.

By: TheAnand

TheAnand — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 06:14:15 +0000

@Rahul, which means HMT has minted money from the process?

We don’t need more parks in the state…there is plenty of place left in the existing parks itself which can be developed further.

What the state now needs is angel investments and venture capital to develop new initiaties and innovative ideas.

By: Rahul Nair

Rahul Nair — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 04:54:48 +0000

tat ws tru f u,anand….bt the scam hs led to the court judgement of setting the HDIL there.the state is also gearing up with IT parks in places like kollam(near ashtmudi lake),koratti(thrissur),cherthalai(aleppey)….then ynot start 1 major project in each district?