The Goshree Island Development Authority (Gida) must complete its infrastructure projects within approved timelines, Kerala Chief Minister V D Satheeshan said at the authority’s 38th general council meeting, while calling for better connectivity to Kochi’s islands and faster project clearances.
Satheeshan, who is also Gida’s chairperson, said a project approved for completion in two years must be delivered within that period. Extending the deadline into a third year would not be permitted, according to the statement made at the meeting on Saturday.
The directive places the focus on implementation delays across the project cycle, which includes preparing estimates, obtaining administrative and technical sanctions, and completing tender procedures. The chief minister said Gida should become a model system for moving through these stages promptly.
Among the infrastructure priorities identified at the meeting were bridges parallel to the existing Goshree bridge and improved connectivity to the islands. The authority oversees development activities connected with the Goshree island region, where transport links are central to access between Kochi and surrounding island settlements.
The chief minister also called for comprehensive development projects intended to transform Kochi and its surrounding areas into an important tourism destination. The source report did not specify the number, cost or individual timelines of these projects, nor did it identify the proposed locations of additional bridges.
The meeting also established a more frequent review process. Satheeshan said meetings would be held every two to three months to assess the progress of Gida projects. Such reviews are expected to track work after the stages of project estimation, administrative sanction, technical sanction and tendering.
The meeting was attended by Hibi Eden, MP; Mayor V K Minimol; MLAs T J Vinod, Tony Chammany and Muhammad Shiyas; the chief minister’s officer on special duty, N S K Umesh; Gida secretary and collector G Priyanka; and presidents of panchayats covered by the authority. The next two- to three-monthly review will be the stated mechanism for assessing whether projects are progressing within their approved timelines.
