CM promises 7 projects for Kochi.

Chief Minister Oommen Chandy chose to turn the inauguration of his mass contact programme, Karuthal, at the Collectorate parade ground recently into a platform for announcing seven significant projects for the city.

A centralised sewage-treatment plant for Kochi and cancer centre at Kalamassery found mention in Mr. Chandy's announcements. He said that Rs. 5 crore had been allocated for drawing up a detailed project report for the treatment plant.

Tenders would be floated to find a partner for setting up a regional cancer centre at Kalamassery in the annuity model. Mr. Chandy said that Kochi would be the first city to get the city gas project whereby piped cooking gas would reach households.

'A meeting of people's representatives and other stakeholders will be convened shortly to remove the hurdles in acquiring land for the project,' he said.

Canals in the district would be cleaned to launch floating markets. Such floating commercial centres would come up at selected spots alongside the backwaters, including at Marine Drive. A logistics park would be set up to ease the traffic pressure on Container Terminal Road, Mr. Chandy said.

THE HINDU