KOCHI: The Greater Cochin Development Authority (GCDA) will focus on sustainable development and will take up projects of international standards in the coming days, said N Venugopal who took over as the chairman of GCDA on Sunday. “We have big plans for Kochi. All the projects would be framed so as to benefit entire Kochiites,” he told Express.Venugopal said the GCDA had been focussing on improving the basic facilities and would take up development projects that suits a metro city.“Instead of small projects, the GCDA looks forward to take up projects of international standards,” he said and added that the GCDA would not remain dormant as in the past.“The GCDA would give priority to form a land bank, complete Bund Road and Coastal Road along the Pachalam-Chatthiyat and Varapuzha- Cheranallur stretch,” he said.Venugopal said his focus would be mainly to avoid BOT form of project financing and instead opt for PPP mode. He said Thoppumpady BOT bridge would be made toll-free in the coming days. “All projects and plans would be framed in consultation with various local body representatives, MLAs and others,” he said.He said the GCDA budget would be presented this month itself. “The general council has to be formed before the budget. It would be done at the earliest,” he said. However, Venugopal made it clear that Kochiites could hope for something new in the budget. The chairman said he was not aware of the liabilities and assets of GCDA.Venugopal added that the GCDA would come up with a one-year programme and the prime focus would be on infrastructure development. Adding that there were a lot of land in the city that were not utilised in a proper way, he said plans were afoot to construct shopping complexes, convention centres and exhibition centres.“There are certain roads and over-bridges the construction of which has to be taken up at the earliest,” he added.Venugopal took charge as the chairman on Sunday morning. Union Minister of State for Food and Civil Supplies K V Thomas, Mayor Tony Chammany, MPs P C Chacko, K P Dhanapalan, MLAs Hibi Eden, Dominic Presentation, Anwar Sadat and V P Sajeendran, former chairmen K Balachandran, Joseph Thomas and chairperson Josephine were present. Cartoonist Yesudasan, PSC chairman K S Radhakrishnan, additional advocate general P C Iype, BJP leader A N Radhakrishnan, CPM leader Manishanker and DCC president V J Paulose were also present.
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