The Union Home Ministry has insisted on police verification of beneficiaries before handing over apartment units in the newly built Thuruthy Towers in the Kalvathy division, citing the presence of high-security defence installations in the vicinity.

The move has further delayed the rehabilitation of homeless families who have been waiting for a roof over their heads for more than a decade. Though formally inaugurated by former Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on September 27, 2025, towards the end of his tenure, the twin towers are yet to be allotted to beneficiaries. Conceived in 2013, the project was repeatedly stalled due to paucity of funds. The 12-storey towers, comprising 398 units, are now near completion.

Mayor V.K. Minimol said the police appeared to be considering a proposal to set up an aid post on the premises on security grounds. Police sources, though, were non-committal.

“We are hopeful of handing over the apartments to beneficiaries on November 1, after completing police verification and finishing touches to the structures. A Central team inspected the towers and insisted on verification of beneficiaries, pointing out that such high-rise structures in the immediate neighbourhood of sensitive defence installations should not have been constructed without the prior approval of the defence authorities,” said Antony Painuthara, Corporation welfare standing committee chairperson.

The Corporation initially submitted a list of 204 beneficiaries for police verification and later trimmed it after removing the names of the deceased. Although the towers were meant to house 398 families, the Corporation has so far identified only around 212 beneficiaries. However, Kalvathy division councillor Fousia Mohammed believes the eventual number may exceed 398.

“Many eligible beneficiaries did not apply despite being homeless. Instead, they applied for repairs to their rented accommodation out of ignorance. They too will have to be counted eventually,” she said. The Corporation also proposes to include families to be evicted for the restoration of Mehaboob Park in the division, though they number fewer than 20.

P.H. Zeenat, 60, an original resident of Thuruthy Colony who has since been moving from one rented house to another, rued the prolonged delay. Her husband, whose name was included in the list, has since died. “Our name was included in the list about a decade ago. The authorities keep saying construction is incomplete. For someone without a home, that apartment is my biggest dream.,” she said.

Former Mayor M. Anilkumar attributed the initial setback to the delayed completion of one of the two sewage treatment plants. However, he noted that considering the reduced number of beneficiaries, a single plant would have sufficed. He urged the Mayor to hold discussions with the defence authorities at the earliest to address their concerns.

Published - August 06, 2026 10:00 am IST