Technocity fails to take off even after 11 years in Kerala
Construction works by major IT companies that have acquired space are yet to start.
Thiruvananthapuram: The Technocity project announced 11 years ago has not taken off even after two governments completed their terms. With Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan himself holding the IT portfolio, the IT fraternity is expecting some progress for the project.
While government officials blame the companies that acquired the space for the delay, the representatives of the companies cite red-tapism as the major hurdle. Infosys, which was among those who acquired space, had even quit the project alleging government apathy in addressing its concerns.
The Technology park with integrated township project in around 420 acres at Pallippuram near here was announced in August 2005 by the then chief minister Oommen Chandy. But only very little construction activities have taken place in the area during this decade.
Apart from Infosys, space was allotted in Technocity to Tata Consultancy Services, SunTec and Indian Institute of Information Technology and Management - Kerala.
A formal foundation stone laying ceremony of Technocity by then chief minister Mr Achuthanandan was held in June 2010 and a formal foundation stone laying of TCS's Global Learning Centre was done by the then prime minister Manmohan Singh in January 2014. “The snail's pace in commissioning any major projects will send wrong messages about the investor-friendly climate of the state,” said NASSCOM regional council chairman V.K. Mathews.