Now Reading: Kochi civic body seeks vigilance probe into ₹6 crore poet memorial
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Kochi civic body seeks vigilance probe into ₹6 crore poet memorial
The Kochi Corporation will ask the Kerala government for a Vigilance probe into alleged lapses in constructing the G. Memorial and P&T Apartment Complex, citing their squalid condition. Mayor V.K. Minimol made…
The Story in Brief
The Kochi Corporation will ask the Kerala government for a Vigilance probe into alleged lapses in constructing the G. Memorial and P&T Apartment Complex, citing their squalid condition. Mayor V.K. Minimol made the announcement on Thursday after UDF councillors accused the previous LDF council of corruption in the ₹6 crore memorial, inaugurated by former Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan in February 2024.
UDF parliamentary party secretary M.G. Aristotle alleged the memorial, originally designed differently, included an unsuitable open-air stage and had construction costs exceeding ₹8,000 per square foot. The mayor said a Public Works report ruled out neighbourhood construction as causing the tilt, while the consultancy blamed increased traffic. Meanwhile, the Brahmapuram CBG plant processes only 50 tonnes daily against its 150-tonne capacity, with BPCL demanding 97% pure organic waste.
The Indian Opinion
The blame game between UDF and LDF over a tilted memorial and ₹8,000 per square foot construction cost reveals how public money gets treated as a prize. Each side rushes to point fingers, but no one explains why a design with an open-air stage was chosen for a region with six months of rain. Kerala must demand a transparent audit of all high-cost public works, not just partisan inquiries. The real test is whether the Vigilance probe will name those who approved the design changes, not just those who executed them.
Source: thehindu.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the source linked above.
