Finally it seems that Smart City is having an effect . A consultant called me today for a position in a reputed company in their soon to be opened office in Kochi after coming across my profile in LinkedIn.It was a relief to get a call like that from a consultant. Never thought it may be possible for the next ten years at least . Offer with a better profile , higher seven figure salary at home , chance to be among the people I care about , Eating Shawarma , Masala Dosa and giving company to my retired parents. Hmm, everything sounded so attractive. But I am having the time of my life in the new company with an industry that I wanted to be with . At least this indicates that I can go back to Kochi sometime in future If I want to, though I dont think I will be doing it any time soon.
Smartcity seems to be a sign of pragmatism overcoming dogma and shedding of antediluvian ideas by LDF.Is it a sign of Comrade Achu changing with the times due to political pressures?Whatever , I find it silly that opposition is creating noise about Smart City. When Comrade Achu was in opposition he created a lot of noise about the proposed project and now when he is basking in the glory the current opposition is creating hue and cry. It is about the same project for which they had batted for.What a pity? Even the dog in front of Trivandrum Secretariat knows that this will create employment. Only Creation of Jobs will remove poverty and will utilise underemployed labour not strikes and hartals . It has been long time the politicians in Kerala has put this thought into a trash.
Today's Leftism is to Create Jobs , remove poverty - West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee remarked in a recent article in Financial Express . Not sure whether Comrade Achu took a study class from his Bengali counterpart who seems to be on the realistic and practical side. Smart City is at least having an effect and seems to be a step to be on the side where action is taking place.Often I wondered how Communists could exhort about alleviation of poverty at the same breath in which they were giving a strike call.Jobs cannot be created by strikes , hartals and bandhs.Only a fool will invest in a state where there are frequent strikes and militant trade unions who want their interests protected at any costs .
What would have propelled Comrade Achu to give a green flag to Smart City?Has he realised the limitations of his ideology or is it a red herring from his {mis}governance in the state for last one year.In Last one year he has emphasized his anti industrial archaic ideologies a number of times by banning sale of colas in the state and by asking Microsoft to log out of schools and government departments . He had also articulated some golden speeches like blaming UDF for Chikungunya . I don't care what he did or said in last one year as long as he is giving me a chance to go back to Kerala through creation of few good projects that gives people like us jobs out there in our home state. I am happy that consultants have started calling me with job offers in Kerala with same salary as I am getting in other metros.
Signs of Change Hopefully.
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11 comments:
Its all about getting a piece of the glory that comes with the accomplishment.
Wonderfully written poat dude.But I wonder one thing,Was it just the salary that was keeping you away from Kerala all this time?
you nailed it dude i stay in calcutta these days it is so damn frustating with all the bandhs n all
There are differences between the previous govt's and the current one's agreement with Tcom. And the new fight is which one is better.
Here are few of the differences.
In the UDF agreement, 100 acres of land for lease for 99 years at 1 rupee per acre; and 136 acres of land to be sold for Rs. 32 crores, and selling of 63 acres of land with infopark for Rs. 109 crores.
In the present agreement, it's only 246 acres of land on a lease amount of Rs. 104 crores. No land, including Infopark is not to be sold.
The condition that bars govt for next five years from investing in any other IT park in Kochi, is removed in the current one.
The govt. share was 9% for an investment of Rs. 21.6 crores earlier, and is 16% for Rs. 19.2 crores with the provision of buying 10% more shares within 5 years and allowing 2 directors from govt.
In the earlier agreement quorum demanded only the minimum of 5 directors with three from Tcom. In the new one quoram demands the minimum of 5 directors, including three from Tcom, and one from govt.
Most of the other conditions are the same. And, it sure look like a better agreement. Only better, not necessarily good with hardly Rs. 100 crores in paid-up capital and Rs. 80 crore as the lease amount for 246 acres of prime land in Kochi! Better call it a red herring.
Now a word on 'militant' trade unions. An unorganised construction site worker with 10-14 hrs of work gets Rs. 30-80 a day, while in Kerala they get Rs. 175-500, with additional pay for overtime. That's not investment-friendly, I know :)
So finally, smart city providing some scope to expatriates like us :)..Good.
If you don't mind, could you name the firm. May be useful for people who want to move.
Ahaaa so that was a good one to pull from the Smart City...will surely open up newer tempting avenues to get back to the roots !!
Someday one can plan to get back right there n live a contended life...waw..am thrilled with that thought !
totally agree... signs of change hopefully & possibilities of people (like me) trying to settle in God's Own Country.
I have not been following much detail of the Smart City issue. But your post reminded me of something else - "Shawarma" - its been a looooong time since I ate one !
Oh even i would love to go to Kochi if everything works out well.
@ Kuttan : You bet and it is even tougher to see someone basking in the glory which you could have got for Opposition leaders.
@libu: Not exactly , Exposure outside is much better and think this is the only age in which I can experiment and see places . Salary was never a criterion rather gratification / satisfaction was the primary criterion always.
@ankit : Hmm, Dude think you didnt understand my post . It is not about the usual communist things like Bandhs
@ Jubin : It seems the current agreement is more favorable to Kerala from what you have said . Way to Go!:) . Not saying about militant trade unions in terms of wages . People will be ready to pay wage as long as they do the work. My thought was aboout those militant unionists who wont let others work if the work was not given to them.Have experience of some unionists who just started at the uploading / downloading being done by some of the relatives and just demanded "Nokkukooli" :).
@Ajith : Hopefully , Let us see
@anonymous : Send me a mail . How can I say that when anonymous people read my blog :)?
@Seema: Lady , The thought is surely nostalgic . But I dont think you may come back to Kerala from Mumbai or Boston :).
@taks:Shawarma is one of those nice things that came to Kerala from Gulf . The Best Shawarmas were lawyas made in Kochi in those Shops in Marine Drive :). Lotsa shops offering shawarma these days :P. It is such a tasty dish
@umesh : That well is the issue . But things look fine for NRKs like us with the cost escalating in cities like Bangalore , Chnennai and Mumbai . Hopefully everything will go well :).
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