The Dubai company is not sure whether the UDF would win the present Assembly elections in Kerala.That is why it wants the dust to settle down before proceeding with signing an agreement at once to set up the Smart City project in Kochi.

The UDF was quick to cash in on the situation, which was in a state of flux, and announce that it would not sign the agreement, but leave the deal to be sealed by the next government.

For both the UDF and the LDF, the postponement of the deal would be good.Whichever government comes to power would want its stamp felt in the Smart City project.

The talk of attracting jobs through the Smart City project has been assuming exaggerating proportions.

A few thousand jobs for the State having three crore population is not that sizeable. The government, being a monolith,should creat conducive environment for generation of jobs. The unemployed youth are frustrated. They should get gainful employment.

In Kerala, real estate works are going on on a faster pace. Construction related works are aplenty, but Kerala youth want white collar jobs. And so, Tamil Nadu lads pervade Kerala landscape to snatch the share of construction-connected works.

It is a mystery why Tamil Nadu, which is a larger State than Kerala, can afford to have a labour force willing to work for lesser daily weages.

In Kerala, a lot of money comes from people working abroad, particularly America, Great Britain, the Gulf countries and so on.

The money thus received finds dissemination in various fields. The services sector is also expanding. This interlinking helps the growth potential.

The government has the onerous duty to facilitate job generation.

It should be considered whether units can be set up by intending entrepreneurs with least disturbance. Why so many hurdles have to be passed by them for launching a unit ?