Pinarayi Govt’s Mundamveli Life Mission flats face Vigilance probe over irregularities
Kochi: A project once showcased as an example of the previous Pinarayi Vijayan-led Left government’s efforts to provide homes to the poor is now facing a Vigilance probe over serious construction irregularities.
The Mundamveli flat complex in Kochi, where 78 families reside, was commissioned in 2024. Within less than two years, what was meant to be a safe home has turned into a source of distress for the residents.
On Wednesday, the V.D. Satheesan government ordered a Vigilance investigation into the complex following complaints about its construction and condition. Residents have repeatedly raised concerns over the safety and quality of the flats.
The Vigilance inquiry was recommended by Minister K.M. Shaji. Construction-related issues had also been raised during the previous Assembly session.
The Mundamveli project was part of the larger Life Mission housing programme of the previous government. Then Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and Local Self Government Minister M.B. Rajesh had repeatedly projected Life Mission as a major achievement of the Left government and as evidence of its commitment to providing housing for the poor.
The condition of the Mundamveli flats has now brought those claims under scrutiny.
According to complaints, the flats developed serious problems soon after construction, with residents alleging that they have been forced to live with continuing defects despite repeated complaints.
The project has also come under criticism over the use of the pre-engineered building method.
The Vigilance probe will examine how the project was awarded and executed and whether prescribed technical procedures were followed.
Questions have also been raised over the decision to award the contract to the Thrissur District Labour Contract Co-operative Society (TDLC) despite its lack of prior experience in the pre-engineered building method.
The Greater Cochin Development Authority (GCDA) allegedly awarded the contract without adequate technical scrutiny. The technical committee of the Local Self Government Department has also come under scrutiny for allegedly failing to assess whether the company had the capacity to execute the design it had prepared.
The project was reportedly promoted as a modern, cost-effective and faster way of providing homes under Life Mission. The pressure to increase the number of houses and complete them quickly is among the issues the inquiry is expected to examine.
Chief Minister Satheesan had last week said the Mundamveli flats should be demolished, underlining the seriousness of the concerns surrounding the complex.
The Vigilance probe will now examine whether the construction failures resulted from technical lapses, faulty decision-making, inadequate scrutiny or other irregularities.
With IANS inputs