Court Complex to be Commissioned Soon

KOCHI: The new district court complex is nearing completion near the Kanayannur taluk office, and the authorities are looking forward to commission the building within one-two months. The foundation stone for the complex was laid in 2008. According to District Court officials, all the major works, excluding exterior finishing and some furniture works, have been completed. “We hope to commission the new court complex by September or October. The multi-storey building will accommodate the Sessions Court, Magistrate Courts and Munsiff Courts currently functioning in the old heritage building. “Construction of the rooms of magistrates/judges, staff and advocates, as well as the parking facility are yet to be completed. The new court building will be a major relief for the staff,” said the officials. The `16-crore project was expected to be completed within two-three years.

However, due to the frequent disruptions in work, it took eight years for the project to complete. “The delay resulted in escalation of the construction cost. Meanwhile, the orginal plan was changed so as to give the structure more of a ‘Kerala look’. However, the cylindrical shape of the structure has limited the space inside the building, and some of the initially planned facilities were later cancelled,” said Adv C P Udayabhanu, who had earlier headed the committee that supervised the construction. The District Sessions Courts are currently functioning at the heritage building that was constructed by the erstwhile Maharaja of Kochi. Once the new court complex is commissioned, the old building is likely to be taken over by the the Archaeology Department.