KOCHI: The much-awaited project of township model Phase III campus of Infopark, set to come up in the Kunnathunadu constituency in the district, is facing a fresh crisis as the land pooling rules, regarding land acquisition, lack clarity.
Govt decided to implement the project on 300 acres through land pooling. In this method, the owner will get back 60% of the original land after project implementation, and the value of land will be three to four times more than the original value.
Infopark expansion is the first project in the state through land pooling. Govt issued an order appointing GCDA for pooling land in Kizhakkambalam panchayat, as GCDA and Infopark identified the private land for setting up the Infopark new campus. A workshop was organized for officials to discuss the land pooling method.
In Jan, state govt notified the rules of land pooling for land acquisition procedures. According to a GCDA official, there are some confusions regarding land pooling rules, and GCDA has to approach govt demanding amendments to some portions of the rules. “We have to wait for the amendment. Only then can we proceed with land pooling procedures,” he said.
The demand for a third campus at Infopark, Kochi, has been long overdue, as the current Phase I and II campuses are fully occupied. Notably, over 120 companies are currently on the waiting list, eagerly awaiting allocation of space in Infopark. Currently, a total of 582 companies are functioning in the IT park with more than 70,000 employees.
Govt is aiming for an investment worth Rs 12,000 crore and IT employment generation of more than 1 lakh through setting up the Phase III campus.
