Flat demolition: 13 companies approach Maradu municipality

KOCHI: While uncertainty looms large over the fate of 450 families residing in the Maradu highrises that are slated for demolition, 13 companies from outside the state have responded to the tender notice floated for demolishing the four complexes.

The companies, mainly from Hyderabad, Bengaluru and Chennai, submitted the tender application to Maradu municipality. With the final date of submitting tender ending on Monday, the municipality will open the closed tender covers on Tuesday. The bidder who quoted the lowest amount will be awarded the tender.

With the state government directing Maradu Municipality to demolish the flats, the latter had put up an advertisement in newspapers seeking tenders from agencies specialised in a controlled implosion. The tenders were invited from specialised agencies after the government, in its order, asked the civic body to invite a short tender to select a suitable agency for the safe and secure demolition of the buildings. The entire process is expected to cost `30 crore. The government has promised the municipality all assistance to implement the Supreme Court order.

The SC had ordered the demolition of five apartment complexes - Alfa Ventures, Golden Kayaloram, Holy Faith H2O, Jain Housing and Holiday Heritage - built by Holy Faith builders, Alfa Ventures, Jain Housing and K P Varkey and V S Builders. Of these, only four apartment complexes have been built, while the project by Holiday Heritage is yet to start.

MPs from state write letter to PM Modi

Kochi: Demanding immediate intervention in the Maradu flat demolition issue, 17 Lok sabha MPs from the state wrote a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday. However, due to their differences of opinion on the issue, Thrissur MP T N Prathapan and Kollam MP N K Premachandran did not sign on the letter. Wayanad MP Rahul Gandhi also did not sign the letter as he was unavailable in New Delhi.  The group of MPs coordinated by Ernakulam MP Hibi Eden also reached out to Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad and Environment Minister Prakash Javdekar with the letter.

Sudheeran seeks legal action against builders

T’Puram : Senior Congress leader V M Sudheeran has called upon Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan to initiate legal proceedings against the builders responsible for the Maradu flat issue. In a letter to the Chief Minister, Sudheeran welcomed the government initiative to call an all-party meeting on the issue. However, he urged the Chief Minister to ensure that the builders who resort to illegal means are not given any concession. “The verdict gives the message that any illegal construction can be regularised by paying a nomina fine,” he said. Sudheeran said he raised the issue earlier in a letter to the Chief Minister on Jan 11,2018.