The decade-long proposal to establish Infocity -- the first IT park in Kottayam district -- has received a major boost with authorities all set to commence acquisition of land for the project.
Official sources say the Kerala Industrial Infrastructure Development Corporation has already completed a survey of the proposed project area and prepared a favourable report regarding its feasibility. The project is slated to come up at a property adjacent to the Centrally owned Indian Institute of Information Technology (IIIT) at Valavoor, near Pala.
“About 100 acres of land will have to be acquired and the majority of the property owners including the Valavoor cooperative bank has expressed their willingness to hand over land. Negotiations with the rest are soon slated to begin,” says an official of the Industries department.
The project site, according to him, is well networked with roads while the proximity to the IIIT campus and the central institute’s association with IT majors will be an added advantage.
Aimed at expediting the project, Kerala Congress (M) chairman and Rajya Sabha member Jose K. Mani has initiated discussions with the Chief Minister and the Industries Minister . The project, according to him, envisages establishing infrastructure to facilitate operation of IT companies as well as the start ups.
“This is for the first time in the country that a proposal to set up an IT park along with a IIIT is being floated. If realised, it will open up a slew of opportunities in the IT sector, especially to those who pass out of the IIIT here. At the same time, it will also help facilitate world-class education and research in the field of Information Technology,’’ said Mr.Mani.
