Red signal for Electronic Park

KOCHI: The Wetland Conversion Committee of the state government under the Agriculture Department has given a stop memo for the land acquisition for the proposed first ever Electronic Park in Amballoor panchayat near Piravom.The Kerala State Industries Development Corporation (KSIDC) has been entrusted with the acquisition of 340 acres of land for the project. The committee asked KSIDC to look for alternative land as there are wetlands on the proposed site which begins from the north side of Puthenkavu-Kanjiramattom Road and goes adjacent to Manthuruthel Church in Amballoor Pallithazam.KSIDC sources said that the wetland at the proposed area is less and it comes to around 20 per cent of the total land. It was also pointed out that this land was not used for cultivation for the last 30 years and now cultivation is not possible here.However, KSIDC again sent a request to the state government citing that the land could not be used for any agriculture purpose and to reconsider the decision. The final nod in this regard is awaited from the state government which has to recommend to the Wetland Conversion Committee to consider the request.It is a marshy and barren land covered with bushes and the public will not enter the area. When the survey of KSIDC started, the public were enthusiastic in helping the officials as the project could bring in several other development activities.The first ever Electronic Park was planned to be set up at a cost of Rs 7,000 crore which can create around one lakh job opportunities.KSIDC had made a study for the project and expected an investment of Rs 7,000 crore and create 20,000 jobs directly and 70,000 indirectly.There will not be any hurdles for the acquisition of the proposed land as there are only 22 houses on the 340 acres of land. It was also decided to develop the land without harming the environment and ecology. Konothupuzha, the river flowing through the land, will also be protected.Once developed, the project is expected to attract major electronics companies manufacturing TV, refrigerator, washing machine, computer and other electronic gadgets. The land will be given to industries for lease for a period of 90 years.The project is designed to ensure that the fuel for the operations of the Park can be taken from the LNG Terminal. In the second phase KSIDC plans to acquire 3000 acres for expansion.