Aim is to transform the State into an innovative and inclusive society

Four infrastructure projects, including Kerala Fibre Optic Network (K-FON), that aim at ‘transforming the State into an intelligent, innovative and inclusive society’ have been approved by the Kerala Infrastructure Investment Fund Board (KIIFB).

Besides the IT Department’s ₹823 crore K-FON project, the other projects that got the nod are the TDB’s ₹141.75-crore sewage treatment plant at Pampa, vehicle parking facility at Pampa and Nilackal for Sabarimala pilgrims, and four Edathavalams; PWD’s Anayadi-Koodal Road in Pathanamthitta (₹109.13 crore); and KTDC’s 40-key three-star hotel on the Muzhappilangad beach for ₹39.42 crore.

The 30th meeting of the KIIFB board chaired by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan here on Wednesday also gave its nod for the ₹1,498.97-crore projects sanctioned by the executive committee that met last week. The board also gave “conditional approval” for six projects costing ₹6,386.48 crore.

The projects

Of the ₹1,498.7-crore projects, 13 projects are of the General Education Department costing ₹378.35 crore, 43 projects of the PWD estimated to cost ₹1,002.73 crore and eight projects of the Sports and Youth Affairs Department costing ₹117.89 crore.

Basic infrastructrure projects for ₹4,022 crore were approved in Phase I, ₹8,041 .65 crore in phase II and ₹449.03 crore in Phase III. The projects approved by KIIFB as on August 30 come to ₹15,274.62 crore, Finance Minister T.M. Thomas Isaac told a press conference.

The fibre would be laid through KSEB transmission lines and distribution poles. An access network of 30,000-odd government and educational institutions will be created and 20 lakh economically backward households will get free Internet through the K-FON network.