Kerala lacks basic infrastructure: CM

Tuesday, Aug 21, 2012: Though Kerala achieved significant improvements in Education and Health sectors, it failed to set up basic infrastructure, causing delay in development process, Chief Minister Oommen Chandy opined.

Inaugurating a National Seminar on Transport Vision Kerala-2030, Chandy said political protest against toll collection, BOT (Build, Operate and Transfer) and PPP (Private Public Participation) Projects could sabotage future development programmes.

Admitting that the State was facing difficulty in further upgrading of National Highways, he said better transportation has a bigger role in attracting high investment and creating employment opportunities. Pointing out that the Cochin International Airport Limited (CIAL) is one of the successful (PPP) development models in the world, a he said the CIAL attained the fourth position in the world in terms of its highest investment-profit ratio.

Hoping that the Kollam-Kottapuram water ways would be commissioned soon, he said 25 percent of transportation could be shifted through waterways after the completion of Kollam-Kovalam and Kottapuram-Mangalapuram water ways.