: The long-standing demand of the 78 families residing in the P&T Apartment Complex received validation from Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan in Kochi on Saturday (September 26, 2026), when he stated that the twin structures would have to be demolished rather than repaired.
Mr. Satheesan’s statement, made while speaking at a private function, comes at a time when the indefinite agitation by the affected families in front of the apartment complex has stretched to 67 days. They have three non-negotiable demands on the table: fresh rehabilitation in new structures with title deeds, compensation for the physical and mental trauma endured over the past couple of years, and prosecution of those responsible for the alleged corruption behind the faulty construction. The Hindu had recently highlighted the plight of the families.
Speaking in the context of the importance of maintaining quality and standards in construction, the Chief Minister referred to the P&T Apartment Complex, which, he said, would now have to be demolished and the homeless inhabitants relocated to rented accommodation in the interim. “If someone uses the washroom on the top floor, people below come to know about it because of the leakage. The estimate prepared for the rectification exceeded the original construction cost. We will have to demolish it now. Who is accountable for the construction, costing crores, built under the LIFE Mission? Mr. Satheesan asked. He added that a meeting on the issue would be held shortly.
The protesting families were elated at the Chief Minister’s statement. “The statement has validated the issue we have been raising since we moved here in January 2024. The new government has opened its eyes and ears to the plight of the poor and ensured that there is no separate justice for the poor and the rich. We are grateful to Kochi MLA Mohammed Shiyas for raising this matter before the government,” said Abhilash P. Parameswaran, president of the P&T Apartment Owners Association. The association, however, said that the protest would continue until the government made good on its promise. Mr. Parameswaran expressed hope that the Chief Minister would personally meet the affected families.
The families were shifted from the erstwhile waterlogging-prone P&T Colony in the Gandhi Nagar division of the Kochi Corporation. However, the apartments started leaking from the very first showers within a fortnight of the residents moving in, and the situation progressively worsened. The apartments were constructed by the Greater Cochin Development Authority (GCDA) at an estimated cost of ₹15 crore, jointly funded under PMAY, the LIFE Mission, and Cochin Smart Mission Limited. The original estimate of the rectifications submitted by IIT Madras exceeded this.
On September 1, the Kerala State Human Rights Commission ordered a probe and directed the GCDA to submit a report within a month on how the leakage of rainwater and toilet water, which soaked the residents’ books, uniforms, and other belongings, had disrupted the school attendance of children living in the complex.
Published – September 26, 2026 01:45 pm IST
