N. Venugopal, who has been named chairman of the Greater Cochin Development Authority (GCDA) plans to focus on developing roads and townships in a one-year action plan for the city.
“The GCDA will function as a nodal agency for implementing various developmental projects of the city corporation. This will help maximise utilisation of various Central grants received by the civic body,” Mr. Venugopal, who will take over as GCDA chairman after the Piravom by- polls, told the Deccan Chronicle.
The authority will handle projects like the Thykoodam- Konthuruthy bund road to help decongest the SA Road and Vyttila junction, development of townships in Vennala, Mulanthuruthy and Angamaly, construction of a convention centre at Manapattiparambu and the setting up of a permanent exhibition centre at the Jawaharlal Nehru stadium.
“The convention centre at Manapattiparambu may be set up on a private public partnership (PPP) basis and will have underground parking,” Mr Venugopal revealed, adding that the five acres GCDA owns in West Kochi would be developed into a recreation spot with a walkway and swimming pool.
“We also plan to get involved in property development, land banks and land pooling and will get rid of encroachers on GCDA properties,” he promised.
