KOCHI: A long-pending dream of hundreds of families in Fort Kochi came true on Saturday when Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan handed over the keys of the twin apartment complexes at Thuruthy, built to rehabilitate 394 families who had been living in one-room shanties along the Kalvathy–Rameshwaram Canal.
The project, executed jointly by Kochi corporation and Cochin Smart Mission Ltd (CSML), is being hailed as a model rehabilitation initiative. Families from Kalvathy, Koncheri, and Thuruthy colonies will now move into modern flats, ending decades of struggle in congested dwellings.
Speaking at the event, Pinarayi Vijayan said Ernakulam has over 40,000 beneficiaries under the LIFE Mission scheme, of which new houses have already been provided to 33,000 families. Construction of another 6,000 homes is progressing. “Housing is a basic right. Projects like Thuruthy prove that the state’s goal of a Kerala without homeless people is not a dream, but a reality in the making,” he said.
The CM noted that the project was originally sanctioned in 2013 but had remained on paper for years. “Only after the current council took office did the work take off. Critics had dismissed LIFE Mission as impractical, but today thousands of families are living in new houses. Those who opposed welfare schemes like housing, pensions, or K-Fon never stood for the poor,” he added.
Local Self-Government Minister M B Rajesh presided over the function, terming the project “a matter of pride for both Kochi and Kerala.” Industries Minister P Rajeeve, MLA K J Maxi, Mayor M Anilkumar, and former Mayor Soumini Jain were among those present.
The CM also announced that Vikasana Sadas sessions will be held in every local body to draft local development blueprints.
Project snapshot
Beneficiaries: 394 families (Kalvathy, Koncheri, Thuruthy colonies)
Towers: Two (11 & 13 floors)
Tower 1: (Corporation) 199 flats (320 sq ft each), 14 shops, Anganwadi
Tower 2: (CSML) 195 flats, 18 shops
Facilities: Dining/living area, 1 bedroom, kitchen, balcony, 2 toilets per unit
Scheme: Rajiv Awas Yojana + LIFE Mission