Thiruvananthapuram:The Thanal Housing Project at Muttathara, conceived to rehabilitate families living in the nearly five-decade-old Vikalanga Colony, remains stalled despite receiving technical sanction from the local self govt department (LSGD) in Aug 2025. Fresh technical and cost-related hurdles have prevented the contractor from commencing work, forcing nearly 100 families to wait another year for permanent housing.The delay has also held up the relocation of slaughterhouses operating opposite the colony to the newly built modern abattoir at Kunnukuzhy, as rehabilitation of the residents is considered a prerequisite for shifting those facilities.Corporation sources said the project has remained in limbo for months after revised cost estimates and other technical procedures created fresh obstacles.
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The newly elected BJP-led corporation council is now planning a detailed review before deciding the way forward.Estimated to cost around Rs 20 crore, the project is being executed by the Uralungal Labour Contract Co-operative Society (ULCCS). It proposes a two-storey residential complex on two acres at Priyadarshini Nagar, Muttathara, comprising 136 apartments of around 550 sq ft each. The housing complex is intended primarily for 99 families now living in the Vikalanga Colony, many of whom include persons with disabilities and economically vulnerable households.The project has undergone multiple revisions over the past two years. The original plan for a three-storey building had to be scaled down to two storeys after the Airport Authority of India imposed height restrictions as the site falls within the airport’s regulated zone. Delays were compounded when estimates prepared under the 2018 Delhi Schedule of Rates became outdated, requiring a fresh estimate based on the 2024 schedule before technical sanction could be obtained.Despite these approvals, construction is yet to begin. Shajitha Nasar, local LDF councillor, alleged that funds have not been mobilised even after the project secured administrative and technical clearances.“Though ULCCS was awarded the contract and the foundation stone was laid, nothing has moved forward. I was informed that funding was the issue. Residents have been waiting for a long time,” she said, adding that the project had remained stalled even during the previous LDF-led corporation council.Residents continue to live in cramped, deteriorating houses while awaiting rehabilitation. Soil testing and other preliminary works have been completed, and construction was originally scheduled to be finished within 18 months of commencement.Mayor V V Rajesh said he was unaware of the current status of the project. “I am not aware of the issue. I will look into the matter immediately,” he told TOI.The Vikalanga Colony was established about 48 years ago and derives its name from its large population of persons with disabilities. The Thanal Housing Project, originally conceived to rehabilitate flood victims and fishermen affected by sea erosion, was later expanded by the state govt to include residents of the colony.
