Kerala government orders vigilance probe into postal apartment project irregularities
The Kerala Home Department has issued an order directing the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau (VACB) to conduct a preliminary inquiry into alleged irregularities in the construction of the P T Apartment Complex at Mundamveli within the Kochi Corporation limits. An order dated September 22, issued by the Additional Chief Secretary, directs the VACB director to conduct the inquiry against officials responsible for the irregularities detected. The inquiry report shall be submitted to the government within the stipulated time.
The Greater Cochin Development Authority (GCDA) constructed the complex, comprising two four-storey towers, at an estimated cost of around ₹14.50 crore to rehabilitate 77 families from the flood-prone P T Colony in the Gandhi Nagar division. The project was jointly funded under PMAY, LIFE Mission, and Cochin Smart Mission Limited. Families were shifted to the apartment complex on January 31, 2024, but the apartments started leaking during the first downpour a fortnight later, with even the toilets eventually beginning to leak.
Families, who have been on an indefinite strike for more than two months, have welcomed the Vigilance inquiry. Abhilash P. Parameswaran, president of the P T Apartment Owners Association, stated that every person found responsible should be stripped of their current positions. However, the families do not view the inquiry as a complete solution and demand their immediate temporary rehabilitation after consultations with protesters.
