KOCHI: In a major blow to the ruling front of the corporation, the state government has asked the mayor, superintending engineer and additional secretary to recover Rs 91.2 lakh from the contractor who was tasked with the construction of a flat complex for rehabilitating Thuruthi colony residents under Rajiv Awas Yojana (RAY). Mayor Soumini Jain, using her special power, had allowed SITCO Associates, the contractor, to withdraw the security deposit before the completion of the flat.
The order, released last week, directed the Corporation to act within 14 days to recover the money from the agency. “It is the responsibility of the Mayor, Superintending engineer and additional secretary to recover the money from the contractor. If they fail to make the contractor pay, the amount will be considered as their liability,” the order read. The construction of the flats started in 2017.