Nearly 400 beneficiaries of a twin-tower housing project in Fort Kochi will have to clear mandatory police verification before they can move into their new homes, as authorities cite national security concerns due to the project’s proximity to key strategic installations. The ₹85.75-crore housing project at Thuruthy was developed by the Kochi Corporation to rehabilitate families living in poor conditions on Puramboke land and in slums across Thuruthy, Kalvathy and Kochangadi in Fort Kochi and Mattancherry.
Gold 101.3FM, UAE’s No.1 radio station, has learned that nearly a year after the twin towers were inaugurated, the Kochi Corporation has submitted the list of 394 beneficiaries to the Kerala Police for background verification, following directions from the Local Self Government Department, reportedly based on inputs from the Central Government and intelligence agencies. The verification is the final administrative step before the apartments can be handed over.
The additional scrutiny has been ordered because the high-rise complex overlooks several strategically sensitive locations, including the Southern Naval Command’s INS Dronacharya, Cochin Port, the LNG Terminal and the Vallarpadam International Container Transhipment Terminal. Authorities are also planning to install an integrated surveillance system with CCTV cameras linked to police monitoring units, along with regular beat patrols. While the criteria for security clearance have not been made public, police will verify every prospective beneficiary before the final list is placed before the Kochi Corporation Council for approval.
Kochi Corporation Secretary P.S. Shibu said all construction and infrastructure works, including the RO water purification plant, sewage treatment plant and other essential facilities, have been completed, and only the mandatory security procedures remain. Mayor V.K. Minimol confirmed that the beneficiary list, approved by the District Collector, has already been forwarded to the police. Civic authorities are hopeful the apartments can be handed over around Kerala Piravi Day on November 1, although no official date has been announced.
Built over nearly a decade with funding from the Rajiv Awas Yojana (RAY) and Cochin Smart Mission Limited (CSML), the twin towers comprise 394 apartments. The RAY-funded tower, built at a cost of ₹41.74 crore, has 199 apartments across 12 floors, while the ₹44.01-crore CSML-funded tower has 195 apartments across 13 floors.
For the displaced families, the delay has meant continuing to live in rented accommodation despite the apartments being ready for months. Although Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan inaugurated the project ahead of last year’s local body elections, beneficiaries are still awaiting the final security clearance before they can finally move into their new homes.
