KOCHI: Nearly a decade after the Palarivattom flyover became a political weapon for the LDF to wield against the previous UDF government, the tables have turned with the Congress-led state government ordering a vigilance probe into allegations of poor construction of LIFE Mission flats in Mundamveli.
Though differing vastly in scale and purpose, both projects ended up being scrutinised following changes in government, with questions raised over construction quality, public money and accountability.
The Palarivattom flyover controversy centred on alleged corruption, lack of proper planning, and poor-quality construction. After the LDF came to power in 2016, the issue became a major talking point against the UDF government it replaced. Following an investigation, vigilance charged five people, including then PWD Minister V K Ebrahim Kunju, for graft.
There was even discussions on demolishing the flyover because of concerns over its structural condition. However, it was eventually retained and subjected to extensive repairs.
Now, the Mundamveli flats have brought a similar controversy to the LDF’s doorstep. The 78 families shifted from the flood-prone P&T Colony had hoped for safer living conditions. Instead, they have been facing leaking roofs, defective pipes and poorly constructed septic tanks. Despite complaints being raised for nearly two years, the problems remain, leaving residents in distress.
Around Rs 18 crore was spent on the construction of two apartment complexes. The work was awarded to Thrissur District Labour Contract Cooperative Society, which, according to sources, had no prior experience in constructing prefabricated flats.
The estimated project cost was Rs 14.61 crore, or about Rs 3,611.18 per sqft, while the final cost touched around Rs 4,500 per sqft, according to sources in the Kochi corporation. The project had also faced allegations involving the then chief minister’s office, former GCDA chairman C N Mohanan and other stakeholders. RTI activist Cheshire Tarzan had raised allegations concerning the project.
The vigilance probe now allows the Congress to get back at the LDF, which used the Palarivattom flyover controversy as a political weapon to target its predecessor dispensation.
“LIFE Mission was a very popular project of the Pinarayi Vijayan-led government. While its intentions were good, it eventually turned into a platform for corruption and irregular practices and deviated from its own purpose. What happened to the proposed flats in Wadakkanchery constituency, where Congress leader Anil Akkara raised complaints of violation of various norms?” political commentator A Jayasankar asked.
However, the Mundamveli issue goes beyond political symbolism. It raises a basic question about the fate of public structures that fail soon after construction — whether they should be comprehensively repaired or replaced altogether.
“Though the Palarivattom flyover construction snowballed into a political controversy during the election, the state has no such circumstances at the moment. However, people will ask questions, and those in power will have to take it seriously. Palarivattom flyover and Mundamveli flats are not just isolated cases, and over the years, there are many such projects in our state that wasted public money. With a vigilance probe ordered into the allegations, LDF cannot escape from the political controversies surrounding it,” said former legislator Sebastian Paul.
In Palarivattom, demolition was discussed, but extensive repairs eventually saved the structure. In Mundamveli, the vigilance and technical findings will determine whether the flats can be salvaged — or whether a more drastic solution will be required.