As local body election campaigns gather momentum across Kozhikode district, complaints about partially completed or pending housing projects have resurfaced prominently, with many rural voters voicing their frustrations directly to visiting candidates. Delays in road works and the lack of progress in drinking water projects are also among the major grievances confronting candidates during their door-to-door campaign.
“Most complainants are not concerned about the political or administrative reasons behind the delay. We understand their frustrations, and there is no point in picking arguments with them,” says a United Democratic Front (UDF) candidate from Koyilandy. He notes that incomplete housing schemes for underprivileged families dominated the issues raised by residents.
While Left Democratic Front (LDF) candidates highlight the State government’s achievements under the LIFE Mission, the UDF appears to be capitalising on the agony of those who are still waiting for their promised homes. They point out that even tribal housing projects have remained non-starters in the rural areas of Kozhikode. Though officials cite raw material shortages and temporary delays in fund allocation as the main reasons, it offers little comfort to the affected people.
“In Kozhikode district, 33,477 houses have already been completed under the LIFE Mission scheme as per official records, which is a significant achievement. More than 8,000 of these were built using the State’s own welfare funds for poor and marginalised groups,” says an LDF candidate from Vadakara. According to him, construction of many houses is in progress despite minor disruptions caused by labour scarcity and poor raw material availability.
Among those who have raised concerns are farmers’ organisations such as the Kerala Independent Farmers Association and We Farm. They claim that no housing or rehabilitation scheme has been implemented for farmers living along vulnerable forest fringes. According to them, the voluntary resettlement scheme offering ₹15 lakh for exchanging two hectares of land is unattractive as it fails to address the livelihood challenges faced by farmers.
Fishermen families have also expressed apprehension over the stalled housing scheme. Candidates fielded by various parties in coastal areas say they are unable to make firm promises due to stringent coastal zone regulations. Since many families have already rejected the ‘Punargeham’ rehabilitation scheme over fears of displacement from the coastal area, no new proposals have come from either the Centre or the State-creating a situation of uncertainty, they add.
Meanwhile, Bharatiya Janata Party candidates are running a campaign in Kozhikode that underscores the Centre’s contribution to many of the already completed and ongoing housing schemes and welfare projects in Kerala. They argue that rival parties are taking credit for centrally funded schemes by rebranding them under different new names.
Published – November 26, 2025 08:29 pm IST
