KOCHI: The construction of Cochin Cancer Research Centre (CCRC) has again run into rough weather with the Kerala Infrastructure Investment Fund Board (KIIFB) ordering Inkel Ltd to stop the construction due to poor quality of work.Inkel is the special purpose vehicle tasked to implement the CCRC.KIIFB issued the notice after it found that Inkel had failed to comply with suggestions put forward by the Fund during a site inspection conducted when portion of the under-construction building at Kalamassery collapsed injuring six workers in November 2019.
KIIFB had directed Inkel to improve the quality of works after the inspection found poor quality in works and lack of a professional management in overseeing the construction. “Inkel failed to implement the suggestions of the inspection team. It is evident that the construction work lacked the required quality,” a statement from KIIFB said.
In an official social media post, KIIFB said the stop memo was issued to ensure the construction would restart only after rectifying the faults in the construction.A KIIFB official said the decision to stop the construction work was taken based on the recommendation of Technical Inspection Authority. “A fresh agreement for restarting the construction will be given to Inkel only after they take corrective measures to rectify the faults in the construction and get necessary clearance from the technical authority,” the statement said.
This is for the second time that the construction works of CCRC has been stopped by KIIFB. As per the agreement, the `354 crore project was supposed to be completed by July 2020. But only 37 per cent of the work has been completed so far.
In a review meeting held on December 18, KIIFB had communicated to the Inkel about the poor quality of work and the lapses. An internal committee has also been set up to evaluate the progress and quality of the construction work. The meeting also decided to cancel the existing contract and call fresh tender for the remaining work.CCRC is KIIFB’s flagship project in cancer care. The project is being developed in two phases. In the first phase, there will be 213 beds and nine operation theatres.