more-in The Greater Cochin Development Authority (GCDA) on Monday presented its budget for 2018-19 that brought into sharp focus the development agency’s increasing inclination to fall back on Public Private Partnership (PPP) model for premium development projects entailing considerable investments and expertise. The ?40.02-crore surplus budget proposed four major projects under the PPP model – a modern convention centre and exhibition hall at Manappattipparambu, a global sports city around Ambedkar Stadium, a multi-level car parking (MLCP) facility at Marine Drive and a ropeway/cable car between Marine Drive and Bolghatty Palace. “The GCDA neither has the capacity to mobilise resources for large projects nor for its operation and maintenance. Neither can we expect the State government to fund such projects. That’s why we have decided to partner with private players whereby they build and operate those projects and then transfer them to the GCDA after a specific period,” said GCDA Chairman C.N. Mohanan at the post-budget media interaction. The proposed 12,500-sq.m main convention centre and exhibition hall entail an estimated cost of around ?100 crore while the budget allocated ?20 lakh towards preliminary expenses like technical and financial feasibility studies and preparation of detailed project report and tender documents. Sports city The sports city is proposed on around 690 cents in and around Ambedkar Stadium complete with a gallery to accommodate 3,500 people in three tiers, football pitch of global standards, swimming pools, skating and bowling arenas, boxing ring, table tennis, badminton, volleyball, basket ball, and tennis courts, health club, yoga facility, medical room, dormitory and parking area. The budget expects viability gap funding from the government for the project and sets apart ?20 lakh towards preliminary expenses. Since the commercial project of MLCP is proposed on an area declared as open space, it will be executed subjected to strict technical and legal scrutiny and approval of the departments concerned. The cable car project across the backwaters has been given an initial allocation of ?10 lakh. Slum adoption The budget also proposes to adopt a slum of 72 families alongside Perandoor Canal and resettle them either in a different location or at the same site provided the government relaxed coastal zone regulation provisions for their housing project. A housing project for the poor and transgenders has been proposed under the Elamkulam West Extension Scheme. A linear park on Build Operate and Transfer model has been proposed along the vacant four metres in a two-kilometre stretch by the side of Marine Drive walkway. The three-storied women’s hostel with 51 rooms at Gandhi Nagar will be structurally fortified and modernised in six months for which ?1.50 crore has been allocated. The budget also allocates ?5 crore for the completion of Bund Road parallel to the S.A. Road, ?3 crore for modernisation and construction of footpaths on both sides of Kaloor-Kadavanthra Road, ?5 crore for the widening of Church Landing Road and construction of footpaths, ?2.5 crore for the construction of shopping complex at Kakkanad, ?2 crore for structural fortification and paining of roof, ?5 crore for the development of Pachalam-Mamangalam Road, ?60 lakh in addition to the ?1 crore allocated by the government for fencing and beautification of Marine Drive, and ?60 lakh for setting up portable modern bunks for the effective utilisation of excess land of 40 cents provided to Kochi Metro Rail Limited for beautification of Shihab Thangal Road.

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