THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The state govt has expedited proceedings to table the Special Investment Region (SIR) Bill in the next assembly session for legislation. It is part of implementing the land-pooling method in Thiruvananthapuram district, especially following increased investor interest due to the Vizhinjam Port-led industrialisation prospects in the port vicinity.
On Tuesday, a high-level meeting chaired by chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan instructed the revenue department and the LSG department to furnish their remarks on the proposed Bill. It will be handed over to the law department for further perusal before being taken to the state cabinet for final decision.
“We are speeding up the process to ensure that investors remain interested. With the port’s trial run already under way, demand for industrial units near the port has surged, but land availability remains an issue. So we decided to call a meeting so that the SIR Act would be implemented soon for land pooling. This will help acquire land and allot it to investors,” said a top official with the industries department.
As part of the broader strategy, the Capital Region Development Programme-II (CRDP) is collaborating on the proposed Outer Area Growth Corridor (OAGC), identifying suitable locations for industrial projects.
Currently, the industries department allots alternative available land in the district for investors. For instance, the govt has allotted two acres of land for a semiconductor company in Technopark Phase IV, which is part of the Digital Science Park, to set up its manufacturing unit and research facility.
Meanwhile, Kinfra is also actively looking for 250 or more acres of land for an industrial park near the vicinity of Vizhinjam Port. However, no landowner has expressed interest to hand over land to Kinfra so far.
The CRDP submitted a master plan to the state govt early this year to implement the OAGC project. This corridor will be located on either side of the proposed Outer Ring Road (ORR) from Vizhinjam to Navaikulam. The master plan includes the draft report of the SIR to develop the special investment zone.
Additionally, it proposes forming eight clusters from Vizhinjam to Navaikulam, initially managed by a govt-constituted special purpose vehicle (SPV) that will later partner with private co-developers for project execution.
Economic zones have been proposed along the 78km ORR stretch at Vizhinjam, Kovalam, Kattakada, Nedumangad, Vembayam, Mangalapuram, Kilimanoor, and Kallambalam. The state is expected to give its final approval for this proposal soon.
As per the proposal, a logistics and industrial hub will be built on 6.3 sq km at Vizhinjam, while a health tourism hub will be developed on 4.01 sq km at Kovalam.
Two out of the eight clusters have been chosen for the seed development area (SDA). The first SDA is proposed at Vizhinjam, where a detailed town-planning scheme will be implemented while the second is proposed at Mangalapuram, where the proposed Neopolis, an integrated mixed-use township, will be developed.
