Kerala Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala ordered a Vigilance inquiry into serious construction lapses in Life Mission flats built at Mundamveli, in Rameswaram village, Thoppumpady, Ernakulam.

• Kerala sanctioned a preliminary Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau probe under Section 17A of the Prevention of Corruption Act into construction defects, structural compromises and financial irregularities at the P and T Apartment complex in Mundamveli, Ernakulam.
• Built under the LIFE Mission scheme and implemented by the Greater Cochin Development Authority, the complex rehoused families from waterlogging-prone P and T Colony and is home to 78 families.
• Residents reported major leaks within a month of moving in, followed by wall cracks, crumbling plaster and electric shocks, particularly during rainy weather. They said GCDA and Kochi Corporation had not addressed their concerns.
• Residents began an indefinite protest two months ago. On its 67th day, September 26, VD Satheesan announced the complex would be demolished and residents rehabilitated, with details to follow. Residents welcomed the announcement but said they would continue protesting until a definite solution was provided.

The Kerala Home Department’s September 22 order directs the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau (VACB) to conduct a preliminary inquiry into alleged irregularities in the P&T Apartment Complex at Mundamveli, Kochi, and report to the government within a stipulated time. VACB director Manoj Abraham said a team would be formed, with engineering and external expert assistance.

Built by the Greater Cochin Development Authority (GCDA) for around ₹14.50 crore, the complex has two four-storey towers and was intended to rehabilitate 77 families from the demolished, flood-prone P&T Colony in Gandhi Nagar. PMAY, LIFE Mission and Cochin Smart Mission Limited jointly funded it. Families moved in on January 31, 2024; leaks began during the first downpour a fortnight later, including in toilets.

Residents have protested for over two months and seek immediate temporary rehabilitation and fresh rehabilitation with title deeds. GCDA terminated contractor Thrissur District Labour Contract Co-operative Society during the defects liability period in 2025; the contractor challenged this in Kerala High Court. IIT Madras recommended ₹25 crore in repairs in April 2025. Former GCDA chairman K. Chandran Pillai and the contractor cited design flaws. Kochi MLA Mohammed Shiyas called for recovery of repair costs from the contractor and officials found responsible.

Kerala Chief Minister VD Satheesan said on September 26 that the two-year-old GCDA-LIFE Mission housing complex in Mundamveli, Kochi, will be demolished and its residents rehabilitated; details are to be announced later. The complex was built in 2024 to rehouse low-income families displaced from Kochi’s P&T Colony after repeated flooding from Perandoor Canal.

The 78 families have been protesting for more than two months and were on an indefinite strike. They report roof leaks and flooding, septic tank overflows requiring daily waste removal, wall cracks and crumbling plaster, and electric shocks, particularly during the rainy season. Residents said GCDA and Kochi Corporation refer complaints to each other. Families welcomed the demolition announcement but said they would continue protesting until a definite solution is provided.

• The Mundamveli apartment complex in Kochi was built under the previous LDF government’s LIFE Mission, a housing programme for homeless families. The Greater Cochin Development Authority (GCDA) relocated residents of P&T Colony, near Perandoor Canal in Kadavanthra, to the complex in 2024.
• Chief Minister V D Satheesan said an assessment found defects throughout the building and that repair costs would exceed the cost of constructing a new structure. He said the complex may have to be demolished.
• Reported problems include leaking toilets, wastewater seeping into lower floors, leaking ceilings and falling plaster. Residents have raised construction-quality concerns despite the relocation being intended to improve their living conditions.