More deadlines missed in Chander Kunj rebuild as AWHO opposes takeover of apartments

Though the Kerala High Court’s decision not to stay the District Collector’s Committee directive to the Army Welfare Housing Organisation (AWHO) to take over possession of the 208 apartments in Towers ‘B’ and ‘C’ of the Chander Kunj Army apartment Complex at Silver Sand Island, Vyttila, has come as a relief to apartment owners, more deadlines for the demolition and reconstruction of the apartments have fallen by the wayside.

The Committee meeting on October 1, 2026, had directed AWHO to begin taking over the apartments on October 5, 2026, and complete the process within a fortnight. It was then to hand them over to the Kanayannur Tahsildar, who, in turn, was to transfer them to Mumbai-based Edifice Engineering for demolition. However, AWHO declined to comply with the directive and again ignored the Collector’s notice to begin the takeover on October 12, 2026. Instead, the agency filed a writ petition before the Kerala High Court challenging the Collector’s order.

“With the case now posted for October 28, 2026, the handover and takeover of the apartments will, in all likelihood, remain stalled at least until then, disrupting the schedule for completing the process. AWHO continues to be reluctant to take over the apartments,” said George Antony, vice-president of Chander Kunj Army Towers Apartment Owners Association (CATAOA).

The association further pointed out that AWHO has already taken over around 50 apartments, along with their undivided share of land (UDSL), under the buy-back arrangement. AWHO will be able to sell these apartments at market rates after reconstruction. A majority of owners, however, have turned down the option, saying that being paid the original purchase price years later made little sense in terms of returns on investment. Since the court has clearly stated that it is incumbent on AWHO to secure the necessary approvals for demolition and reconstruction, it is imperative that it takes over the apartments along with their UDSL, the association argued.

CATAOA also questioned the sustainability of AWHO’s latest writ petition in view of the pendency of its special leave petition before the Supreme Court against the Kerala High Court Division Bench verdict, and the fact that the apex court had directed it to coordinate with the Collector’s Committee rather than granting interim relief.

The Collector’s Committee’s decision to sign the demolition contract this week also remains unimplemented, as a meeting of a sub-committee chaired by the Revenue Divisional Officer on October 12 to finalise the contract proved inconclusive. Though Edifice Engineering has expressed concerns over the availability of 56 parking spaces for residents Tower ‘A’ , the association maintains that the issue is non-negotiable. The habitability-related issues of Tower ‘A’ and the finalisation of the request for proposal (RFP) to appoint a project management consultant to oversee the demolition and reconstruction also remain pending.

“We have submitted our proposal on the habitability of Tower ‘A’ to the Committee, and we are confident of resolving the parking issue. Basic back-end work ahead of the demolition is already under way at the site,” said Uttkarsh Mehta, partner, Edifice Engineering.