KOCHI: The Ernakulam district administration has given one week to the Army Welfare Housing Organisation (AWHO) to sign the agreement for the demolition of the structurally unsafe B and C towers of the Chander Kunj Army Apartments at Silver Sand Island, Vyttila.
The decision was taken after an expert committee meeting headed by the District Collector G Priyanka on Tuesday. She said the demolition process must be completed without delay. A draft agreement prepared by the district administration has already been handed over to AWHO, and the organisation has been directed to sign it within a week.
If AWHO fails to do so, it will be required to deposit the entire demolition cost, including GST, in advance. The district administration will then undertake the demolition using the funds. The collector said two orders in this regard – one from the committee led by the collector and another under the Disaster Management Act – would be issued on Wednesday.
“Legal action for contempt of court would be initiated against AWHO if it failed to take a favourable decision within the stipulated period,” Priyanka said.
AWHO has been instructed to provide Rs 5 lakh within a week to facilitate the reconstruction process. The collector noted that information had been received regarding delays in the disbursement of rent assistance to some apartment owners.
The AWHO said rent payments to 24 owners have been withheld due to documentation-related issues. Priyanka directed that the rent amount be released in advance and said a meeting would be convened on June 15 under the chairmanship of deputy collector (disaster management) V E Abbas to examine the pending cases.
“All 24 cases will be reviewed individually and necessary documents verified to ensure that eligible owners receive the benefits due to them,” the collector said.
“An agency, Edifice, has been identified for the project, though formal procedures related to the demolition contract are yet to be completed,” she said. The meeting also discussed disputes relating to the return of apartment keys by owners. AWHO and representatives of the apartment owners have been directed to hold joint discussions within 15 days to resolve the issue.
The Kerala High Court had earlier ordered the demolition and reconstruction of the two towers following findings of serious structural deficiencies.
Saji Thomas, a former resident, strongly criticised the AWHO, alleging that the organisation had failed apartment owners despite collecting substantial amounts from them.
“AWHO is functioning like a rogue organisation. It is merely a society registered under the Societies Act and not a government body as many assume. We did not get these flats for free. I paid Rs 75 lakh for my apartment and waited for two decades before finally getting possession of a defective building. Now AWHO is challenging the court order. The complex itself was constructed with several violations and is fit only for demolition. Asking us to vacate a flat that we purchased with our hard-earned money without ensuring our rights and security is unacceptable,” Saji said.
