Kochi apartment handover remained uncertain as new deadline arrived

Owners in towers B and C of Kochi’s Chander Kunj complex had no confirmation by the morning of October 12 that their apartment handover would begin, despite a district administration directive.

George Antony, vice-president of the owners’ association, told The Hindu that the Army Welfare Housing Organisation had sent no notice of its plans. The association asked owners travelling from distant areas to wait until the arrangements became clear.

A district committee established under a Kerala High Court direction had originally scheduled the process to begin on October 5 and finish within two weeks. Owners and local officials assembled at the complex’s clubhouse that day, but AWHO representatives did not attend.

Under the planned procedure, owners are to surrender keys with a written undertaking from AWHO to provide apartments in the reconstructed complex. The organisation must then transfer the properties to the district administration for demolition.

A subcommittee meeting was also scheduled for the morning of October 12 to address the demolition contract with Mumbai-based Edifice Engineering and revised terms for selecting a project management consultant. The source report did not give the meeting’s outcome or confirm that handovers had started.