Rs 14.62-crore Kochi flats: Vigilance probe ordered

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Kerala government has ordered a Vigilance inquiry into the collapse of a Life Mission flat complex at P&T Colony in Mundamveli, Gandhinagar, Ernakulam, within two years of its construction. The preliminary inquiry under the Prevention of Corruption Act will examine alleged construction irregularities in the complex, built during the previous government, for 77 families in Rameswaram village, Thoppumpady. The Thrissur District Labour Contract Co-operative Society had undertaken the construction contract. The inquiry follows serious lapses allegedly found on the part of the society and the engineering wing of the Greater Cochin Development Authority (GCDA). Those facing the inquiry are GCDA Superintending Engineer J.B. John; Executive Engineers Shaji and David; Assistant Executive Engineers Athira and Jayashree; and Sindhu Subhash, secretary of the Thrissur Labour Contract Society. The GCDA had constructed the flats at a cost of Rs 14.62 crore, and the families had staged protests after the building deteriorated.

The steel-structured building developed extensive cracks, while sewage from toilets in the upper-floor apartments seeped into kitchens and bedrooms on the floors below. Water leakage also became widespread during the monsoon. The Madras IIT, which studied the cause of the structural damage, found shortcomings in both the building's design and construction. The cost of repairs was estimated at Rs 17 crore to Rs 20 crore. As the repair cost was expected to exceed the original construction cost, the government decided to demolish the building.

The collapse and subsequent problems left the families living in the complex protesting for relief. A remark by former MLA K.J. Maxi, who said that the residents had “turned like othalanga (suicide tree fruit)” after the change in government, had also triggered controversy.