KSEB demand to return land may delay TECOM’s SmartCity Kochi exit

KOCHI: A year after Dubai Holding-owned TECOM Investments formally conveyed its intention to exit the SmartCity Kochi (SCK) project, a long-standing dispute threatens to complicate the process: the Kerala State Electricity Board Ltd (KSEBL) is seeking the return of more than 100 acres it had contributed to the project.

KSEBL says it acquired the land for Rs 83.2 crore between 1991 and 1997, but the state government only paid Rs 7.57 crore when it was acquired for the SmartCity IT park. With the government now exploring options for TECOM’s exit, KSEBL’s demand has come as a major hurdle.