Kochi Metro Rail: Venkaiah Naidu to review progress of projects

KOCHI: Union Minister for Urban Development Venkaiah Naidu will be in Kochi today to review the progress of centrally funded projects including Smart City. Rajiv Gauba, Secretary, Urban Development and Chairman of Kochi Metro Rail Limited will also attend the review meeting. The minister will also attend a review meeting on the progress of the Kochi Metro Rail project. As the Metro works are progressing at a fast pace, the meeting is likely to discuss the procedures to be completed before commissioning the first phase from Aluva to Palarivattom.

The minister is in the city to attend a state level review meeting of centrally funded urban development projects. The meeting will be attended by the Minister for Local Self Government K.T Jaleel, and top officials of the State and Union governments will attend the meeting which will assess the progress of projects including Smart City, Swachh Bharat Mission, AMRUT, HRIDAY and Pradhan Mantri Avas Yojana.

The visit of the Union minister and top Union government officials is expected to give an impetus to the implementation of the Rs 1,000 crore Smart City programme. Kochi lags behind other cities selected for the programme in implementing it. Cochin Smart Mission Limited, the special purpose vehicle, is yet to select a Project Management Consultant which will help to design, develop, manage and implement the programme.

Mr. Naidu will also attend the screening of short films on Swachh Bharat at Samudrika Convention Centre, Willingdon Island. The 20 short films selected from the Swachh Bharat short film festival organised by the National Film Development Corporation will be screened.