IPL ExtravaganzaIt came, people saw it but failed to conquer. That was the Indian Premier League’s tryst with Kochi during the past year. The cash-rich T-20 extravaganza bid good bye after a single season. The international stars that lined up, both for and against the now-terminated Kochi Tuskers Kerala, promised to bring young local talents in close proximity to the ways and means of top class players, thereby aiding cricketing development.The fast-paced excitement and glamour of the franchise-oriented IPL were welcomed as a big business opportunity as well.But after hogging the limelight, often for the wrong reasons, the team - which cost the Rendezvous Sports World-led consortium a whopping Rs 1533.33 Crore - died down to a whimper.However, two good things came out of the five IPL matches staged here; it catapulted Kerala youngsters like Raiphi Vincent Gomez, Prashanth Parameswaran and P Prashanth into the national spotlight and helped turn the Jawaharlal Nehru International Stadium into a high-quality venue.ICTT VallarpadamThe International Container Transshipment Terminal (ICTT) Vallarpadam was the answer for Kochi’s long wait to become an international logistics hub. Commissioned in February, ICTT was supposed to challenge Colombo, Singapore and Dubai as a major destination for ships carrying international cargo. A slew of world class facilities were also set up at ICTT. The initial troubles were termed as teething troubles only. However, casting a shadow on Kochi’s development dreams, new issues popped up. The Cabotage law proved to be a major hurdle for the terminal’s efforts to invite international cargo. Hundreds of containers were held up at the terminal for some time. Adding to the dilemma is a standoff between the Customs and SEZ officials. At the end of 2011, the ICTT launched with much hype and hope is in real crisis. Apple A DayKochi witnessed one of the biggest real estate frauds this year. According to the police, it is estimated that over 200 people, majority of them NRIs, had been duped by real estate company Apple A Day Properties. The fraud came to the light in May after a police team raided the office of Apple A Day following complaints against the firm in connection with the delivery of flats. After the raid, Apple A Day promoters Saju Kadavilan and Rajiv Kumar Cheruvara went hiding. However, the duo later surrendered before the Kanjirappally Judicial First Class Magistrate Court at Ponkunnam. Though they were remanded in judicial custody for 14 days, the First Class Judicial Magistrate granted them bail. The Kerala State Legal Services Authority (KELSA) has appointed advocate Subhash Chand as mediator to settle the disputes between the investors and the directors.Vyttila Mobility HubVyttila Mobility Hub is an integrated transit terminal in the city. The hub has been designed in such a way that it would ease traffic congestion in Kochi. It is designed as a converging point of various forms of public transportation, such as local and long distance buses, metro rail and inland water transport. Planned over an area of 37 acres, the mobility hub was commissioned on February 26, 2011. As of now, the hub caters to buses, including city and long-distance ones. Considering the demand of the Vyttila Mobility Hub Society, the Hub started to function 24 x 7 from October 2011. Though there were initial differences between KSRTC and Mobility Hub Society over shifting the operations to the hub, the issue was sorted out after the intervention of the Chief Minister. The second phase, which has already begun, includes construction of parking lots for private vehicles and restroom facilities. It also includes a separate fuel outlets for KSRTC and private buses. North ROBThe reconstruction of a new North Railway Overbridge is one of the major developments that the city witnessed this year. Both the side bays of the 45-year-old ROB have been removed and it is expected that the new side bays would be constructed within nine months. It was after a long tussle that decks were cleared for the demolition of the North ROB, which is part of the five Metro Rail-associated projects. Other projects include construction of a new ROB connecting Mullassery Canal Road and Salim Rajan Road and the widening of the road from Jos Junction to Ernakulam Junction Railway Station, renovation of MG Road and widening of Banerjee Road. The state government-funded projects is being implemented by the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC).
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