KOCHI: The corporation is set to hand over the Thuruthy Twin Tower flats to beneficiaries on November 1, Kerala Piravi Day, once police clearance certificates for those enlisted are ready.
Launched during the term of Tony Chammany as mayor, Thuruthy Twin Tower project in Fort Kochi remained stuck while hundreds of families in colonies continued to wait for a safer shelter. Later, when the LDF came to power in the corporation, the work picked up momentum.
Finally, the apartment complex was inaugurated by the then chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan on September 27, 2025. However, the flats have remained vacant ever since, as work remained incomplete.
The UDF, which returned to power in Kochi after the recent local elections, had alleged that incomplete work during the LDF term led to the delay in handing over the flats.
But former mayor M Anilkumar had a differing view. “When we came to power in the corporation, the second floor of the first tower was partially done and work was at a standstill.
We revived it and completed it efficiently, despite challenges like the Covid lockdown. Instead of blaming the former administration, the current one should try to avoid further delay and hand over the flats.”
He refuted the allegations that work was incomplete at the time of inauguration.
“It is totally wrong as the structures were 90% finished. The sewage connections and treatment plant for one tower was completed while work on the other was progressing.”
Now, the corporation has to overcome another hurdle to realise the dreams of the families who have been waiting for better living conditions for years. The defence department has sought a police clearance certificate for all the beneficiaries before handing over the flats.
“We are working on it and the necessary official process has been completed to get the clearance. We wanted to hand over the flats during Onam, but couldn’t. We are hopeful that by November 1, we can complete all procedures and pending work to hand it over,” Mayor Minimol V K told TNIE.
With the project aiming to shelter homeless and landless families, the complex is slated to house 394 families residing in Thuruthy, Kalvathy and Koncheri colonies.
While the corporation constructed the first tower, the Cochin Smart Mission built the second. While the project was initially estimated to cost Rs 67 crore, it has so far cost around Rs 90 crore. The project also used funds from the Rajiv Awas Yojana (currently merged with the PMAY). While the first tower has 199 flats across 11 floors, the second one has 195 flats across 13 floors.
Welfare standing committee chairperson Antony Painuthara said that some of the beneficiaries in the list were already dead and hence those names had to be replaced with their family members’.
“All such review work will soon be completed. Work on the compound wall and the sewage treatment plant too is in the final stage.”
Thuruthy Twin Tower Project, Fort Kochi
Proposed in 2012
Construction gained momentum in 2017
Inaugurated in 2025
Why the delay
Incomplete work like sewage treatment plant, water connection
Police clearance certificate required for those in the beneficiary list
