Palarivattom flyover: Govt in a legal battle to realise Rs 28 crore

KOCHI: The legal battle between the state government and RDS Projects Ltd, Kochi, the contractor responsible for the faulty construction of the Palarivattom flyover, looks set to continue with the government approaching the Commercial Court in Ernakulam to realise `28 crore incurred for the rehabilitation and the strengthening of the structure.

The suit was filed by Roads and Bridges Development Corporation of Kerala (RBDCK) through its counsel K V Manoj Kumar. The government said RDS Projects had failed to provide a defect-free structure as per the contract conditions. The government submitted that the rehabilitation and strengthening of the flyover were completed using the services of the Delhi Metro Corporation on March 5, 2021, and the flyover was opened for traffic two days later. The flyover is in good condition.

The total cost incurred to the plaintiff for the rehabilitation and strengthening of the flyover is Rs27.49 crore, which was sanctioned by the state government, and is liable to be paid by RDS.Besides, the expenses incurred for the study by IIT, Madras were Rs 70,89,498. Hence, the total amount for the repair works was Rs28.20 crore, the government said.

The company is having sufficient means and liquid cash to pay the cash to RBDCK. If the amount is not realised, it will cause a huge loss to the public exchequer.  The very faulty execution of the flyover is marred by corruption for which the company and its officers are now being prosecuted by the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau, the government stated.