Kerala Govt. to focus on accelerating urban-centric projects: CM

Kerala Govt. to focus on accelerating urban-centric projects: CM

The State government will focus on accelerating the implementation of urban-centric projects considering the fact that 90% of Kerala’s population will be living in urban areas by 2035, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has said. He was speaking after inaugurating the city Corporation’s new multi-level parking lot at Thampanoor on Wednesday.

He said that sufficient parking space is one of the biggest needs of the city residents. With the sharp increase in the number of private vehicles in the State, the problem has become acute. Traditional methods of addressing the issue will not be effective in this scenario, which has led to a focus on having more multi-level parking lots in the cities.

Mr. Vijayan said the government has formulated an urban-oriented project as part of the Nava Keralam Mission. The first instalment of ₹300 crore has already been allocated from the Kerala Infrastructure Investment Fund Board (KIIFB). The State government has been able to take forward its development and welfare initiatives in the previous year despite the economic situation. Ensuring basic infrastructure is a necessity for the development of cities, he said.

Minister for Local Self-Governments M.B. Rajesh presided over the function. Mayor Arya Rajendran, General Education Minister V. Sivankutty, Food and Civil Supplies Minister G.R. Anil, Transport Minister Antony Raju and others were among those present.

Built under the Smart City project, the parking facility, located in an area of 826 sq m opposite the Central Railway Station on the New Theatre road, will be a welcome addition to the existing facility attached to the KSRTC bus station. Completed at a cost of ₹22.9 crore, it can accommodate 400 two-wheelers and 22 cars. Commercial and office spaces are also available in the complex.