The Kerala cabinet will soon consider the outcome of the dialogue between MA Yusuf Ail, a Dubai-based NRI businessman and the top brass of Tecom, the overseas partner of the mega IT infrastructure project, Smart City Kochi.
Since the stalemate over various issues between the government of Kerala and Tecom is getting more complex which caused a lauxity in the proejct, the government had appointed Yusuf Ali as a mediator in settling the issues.
State fisheries minister S Sarma, who is also the chairman of the joint venture company, today said that he would brief the outcome of the discussions to the chief minister, and that the cabinet would later take a final decision on the project.
He said that Yusuf Ali, who is also a director of the Abu Dhabi Chamber of Commerce and Industry, had already held two rounds of discussion with the top officials of Tecom in Dubai and their response is more crucial for the future of the project.
The government is adamant that the project should be implemented based on the conditions in the framework agreement signed by the two parties. Two years ago, Tecom raised a demand that they should get the legal right to sell the freehold land in the proejct site. Though the government is ready to provide the freehold land that comes to around 29 acres, it took a strong stand that the land should not be sold out.
Though the foundation stone for the Rs 1,600 crore, the mega IT initiative was laid in October 2007, no progress was made so far. A few weeks ago, the government sent an ultimatum letter to Tecom seeking explanation for lack of commitment in starting the proejct. In reply, Tecom said it was ready for a dialogue with the government in Dubai, hence the deployment of Yusuf Ali.
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Meanwhile, there are some positive signs around the project now with Abdul Lathief Al Mulla, CEO of Tecom, saying that the company was ready to go ahead with the project based on the conditions in the agreement. He also said that the company's stand in the prestigious proejct had been clearly conveyed to Yusuf Ali and continues to have interest in implementing the project.
Yusuf Ali also said that he had held two rounds of discussion with Al Mulla and would disusss the outcome of his talks with the chief minister of Kerala on December 18. He is hopeful of resolving the issues.