The construction of the second tower of the Rajiv Gandhi Avas Yojana (RAY) housing project for the urban poor in Thuruthy colony in Fort Kochi will begin shortly.
Soil test and other groundwork have been completed, and the work is expected to be launched early next month, said T.K. Ashraf, chairman, health standing committee of the Kochi Corporation.
The construction of eight floors of the first tower is over, and the remaining four floors will be built without much delay, he added.
The RAY project had run into trouble earlier, as it had failed to take off as planned. The project was plunged into further crisis, as the previous regime under then Mayor Soumini Jain had returned the security deposit to the contractor on his request, and the project came to a grinding halt in 2019.
The Thuruthy project is the largest multi-dwelling housing unit construction undertaken by the Corporation. As many as 396 families will have a roof over their head on completion of the project. Each unit will have a carpet area of 325 sq ft.
The project, which is coming up in Fort Kochi Division-2, is spread over an acre, said Mr. Ashraf, who represents the division in the Corporation council.
The project was originally conceived way back in 2013. However, it did not take off due to various issues. Later, the Corporation merged it with the Kochi Smart City project, and Cochin Smart Mission Limited (CSML) is now involved in its construction. The Corporation council is holding monthly reviews to ensure that the work progresses as scheduled, Mr. Ashraf said.
The civic authorities hope to hand over the housing units to beneficiaries in three years.
Besides the ground floor, which will be rented out for shops and commercial units, the 12th floor will be rented out to individuals. The rentals from the two floors will be used to meet the common expenses of the two structures, including lifts and lighting, he added.