Chander Kunj apartment owners resist move by army housing forum to opt out of tripartite agreements for appointing consultant, demolition contractor

Residents of Chander Kunj Army Apartments have strongly objected to the reported attempt by the Army Welfare Housing Organisation (AWHO) to opt out of the tripartite agreements in the appointment of project management consultant (PMC) and demolition contractor for the proposed demolition and reconstruction of the twin army towers at Vytilla in Ernakulam district.

The matter came up for discussion at the maiden meeting on Wednesday (February 18, 2026) of a sub-committee led by Fort Kochi Revenue Divisional Officer, constituted to conduct weekly reviews and ensure strict compliance with the demolition and reconstruction process. The sub-committee was formed following a decision taken at the last meeting of the District Collector’s committee, which was set up at the instance of the Kerala High Court to oversee the demolition and reconstruction of the twin towers, in view of the Collector’s tight schedule.

At the sub-committee meeting, the AWHO conveyed its objection to becoming a signatory to the agreement, which was met with stiff resistance from representatives of the Chander Kunj Army Towers Apartment Owners Association (CATAOA). The agreement is to be signed by the CATAOA, AWHO, and the selected consultant and demolition contractor. “We made it clear beyond doubt that the AWHO not being a signatory to the project funded by them was non-negotiable, as it was already decided at the Collector’s committee. We see this as a delaying tactic by the AWHO,” said Sajie Shankar, executive committee member of the CATAOA.

Global tenders

The meeting decided to fine-tune the Request for Proposal documents for the appointment of the consultant and demolition contractor and to float global tenders on February 24.

CATAOA and AWHO representatives reportedly clashed over more issues. Apartment owners insisted that the new structures be green buildings, pointing out that the towers to be demolished had followed the green protocol. The AWHO objected, arguing that the apartment owners had already availed tax benefits at the time of registration. “Demolishing buildings within seven years of construction is itself a great environmental loss, and that is all the more reason to follow green protocol in future constructions to offset the damage,” said Mr. Shankar.

The AWHO further insisted that since the existing buildings did not have a swimming pool, they were not obliged to provide one in the new structures. However, the CATAOA disputed this, claiming that the original building plan submitted by the AWHO for approval had included provision for a pool, a promise which they eventually went back on.