Kerala court rejects objections to Bolgatty Island project

India’s Kerala High Court divisional bench has dismissed a batch of petitions challenging the government’s decision to allow the go-ahead of the Lulu Convention and Exibition Centre’s project to build a new centre and hotel on Bolgatty Island in Ernakulam. The petitions had challenged orders relaxing stipulations in the town planning scheme. Leighton India Contractors Pvt Ltd, a part of Leighton Asia, India Offshore (LAIO), secured a US$26m civil and structural works contract for an ICC and Grand Hyatt on Bolgatty Island in Kochi, Kerala last year. The project occupies a construction area of approximately 69,000sqm, including convention halls, service areas and basement parking facility for 450 vehicles and surface parking for 2,000.