Giving clear signals to those coming for Emerging Kerala starting here on Wednesday that the state is a destination for investments, healthcare conglomerate DM Healthcare with a big presence in the Gulf, has announced its commitment for a Rs2,150 crore investment in the state.

It aims at developing an integrated medical township, super specialty hospitals and a state-of-the-art medical college campus in the state.

The group which already has its MIMS hospitals in Kozhikode and Kottakkal hopes to raise its bed strength by 3,000, thereby creating direct employment to 12,000 people, according to group chairman Padmashri Dr Azad Moopen.

He said here on Tuesday that the first phase of the 550-bed Rs500-crore Aster Medicity here would be ready by October 2013. The send phase with 500 beds would involve an investment of Rs300 crore. The group would also look at a cluster of hospitals outside Kochi. “This is an iconic project that can attract people from outside the country too,” Dr Azad said.

The upcoming medical college in Wayanad on an investment of Rs250 crore would admit the first batch from the next academic year. Besides, the group was also planning expansion of the MIMS hospitals in Kozhikode and Kottakkal.

All these will create 3,000 beds and a direct employment for 12,000 people. A township project was being planned in Kochi at an investment of Rs500 crore and land for this had been acquired from more than 100 small holders 'paying them the market prices’. All the necessary permissions for different authorities had also been got, he said.

The group also plans to expand its activities in Maharashtra and Delhi. It was in the final stages of an agreement to set up IVF centres across the country. This was part of the group’s strategy to invest more within the country. Presently, only 20 per cent of the investments were happening here which would be raised to 50.

SmartCity may get full SEZ status by Friday
SmartCity, the Rs2,000 crore flagship IT & ITeS project of government in the city, seeks investment for infrastructure development, but is yet to have a marketing campaign strategy on account of delay in getting SEZ status for 131 acres out of its total area of 246 acres.

SmartCity managing director Baju George told DC on Tuesday that he expected the status for the remaining area by Friday when the SEZ board meets in New Delhi. “We need a master plan approved by the SEZ commissioner to go ahead with road shows. Once we get SEZ status, we can proceed without delay,” he said.

The SEZ status was in a legal tangle due to a water body in the land. Mr George said SmartCity needed investment in IT as well non-IT sectors. Non-IT investments are meant for social infrastructure development including educational institutions, hotels, entertainment centres and playgrounds.

According to Mr George, CEO of TECOM Investments, Abdullatif AlMulla, will present SmartCity opportunities before foreign investors at the IT session of the Emerging Kerala meet on Thursday. “We are also meeting ambassadors of many countries on a one-to-one basis.”

Initiated by the A.K. Antony-led UDF government in 2004, the project has a chequered history after the V.S. Achuthanandan-led LDF government that succeeded it, objected to several conditions in the MoU including 12 per cent free-holding of land by the promoters.

After years of wrangling, the issues were settled towards the final months of the Achuthanandan government and a new MoU was signed. The Oommen Chandy government that took over in May 2011 decided to go ahead with the project as agreed by the Achuthanandan government.

Green clearance to be a tough hurdle

The state government will have a tough time making Emerging Kerala a success because of environmental clearances that several projects will have to obtain.

Projects under 30 heads need environmental clearance of the central government under the ministry of environment and forest notification-1994 (amendment -2002). These include river valley projects, including hydel projects, petroleum refineries, bulk drugs and pharmaceuticals, all tourism projects coming up between 200 and 500 metres of the high water line and at locations with an elevation of more than 1000 metres with investment of more than Rs5 crore etc.

Green activists point out those projects with investments of above Rs50 lakh will need to conform to Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) rules and hold a public hearing before getting clearance.

“In Kerala, where population density is high, no specific mapping has so far taken place to demarcate where industries should function and which area should be residential,” says Dr C. M. Joy, general secretary of the All Kerala River Protection Council.

The chief minister has said that projects that do not need clearance from the Centre and the environment ministry will be cleared in 90 days. It has to be seen if this holds true.

‘Safe to eat’ food a high priority

Emerging Kerala is expected to bring in large investments in the state. This would certainly attract more business people into the state for business and leisure. Providing ‘safe to eat’ food to the visitors is a prime responsibility for which quality fruits and vegetables have to be produced in the state instead of depending on the neighbouring states. Around 1500 crores worth of vegetables are being brought to the state annually and time has come for Kerala to produce own safe-to-eat fruits and vegetables.

Government of Kerala has taken initiative to produce quality agri products by introducing three greenhouses in every panchayat and this will be a big boost for production of quality vegetables and achieve self sufficiency. When the production goes up, post-harvest storage and marketing facilities have to be taken care of. We waste large quantities of our produce like jackfruit, mangoes, pineapple, cashew apple etc and with the introduction of new technology, these produces can be converted into high-value products.

Perishable fruits and vegetables require proper cleaning, grading, packing and cold storage facilities apart from cold chain for marketing in faraway places. While giving importance for improving general infrastructure in the state, efforts should be taken to get investments to improve the agricultural infrastructure as well.

Another area in which investments can be attracted to the state is the production of hybrid seeds and planting materials. Land being a high-value commodity in Kerala, such hybrid planting materials can enhance production in a limited available farming area.
-Shivdas B. Menon, The author is MD, Sterling group of companies