Twenty-four apartment owners of the Chander Kunj twin towers at Silver Sand Island, Vyttila, Kochi, Kerala, are yet to receive any money as rent from the Army Welfare Housing Organisation (AWHO) since vacating their apartments last year. The towers are slated for demolition.

Of the 200 apartment owners found eligible for rent until they are handed over new apartments in place of the demolished ones, 39 have so far opted for the buy-back option. The owners of 24 apartments were initially denied rent on the technical grounds that they had failed to submit affidavits claiming eligibility to the District Collector’s committee, entrusted with overseeing the demolition and reconstruction, before August 12 last year, as directed.

However, they submitted their affidavits on October 14, which was duly recorded at the Collector’s committee meeting the same day. Later, a sub-committee chaired by the Fort Kochi Revenue Divisional Officer, constituted to review implementation and ensure strict compliance with the demolition and reconstruction process, also verified their claims and upheld them as rightful.

The Collector’s meeting, originally scheduled for Wednesday (June 24, 2026), was expected to issue relevant orders in this regard. But the meeting has since been postponed.

“AWHO has denied payment of rent to the 24 apartment owners, demanding submission of loan-related documents, a demand that has no basis. The meeting was also supposed to initiate steps for publishing the Request for Proposal for appointing the Project Management Consultant, which is critical to the entire project,” said Saji Thomas, president of the Chander Kunj Army Towers Apartment Owners Association (CATAOA).

As per a High Court verdict, rent was fixed at ₹30,000 per month for apartments in the B tower and ₹35,000 for those in the C tower. AWHO had paid the initial tranche of ₹2.97 crore for six months till March this year. However, there was a delay in releasing the second tranche, prompting the apartment owners to file a contempt of court petition. Since then, the second tranche has been disbursed, except to the 24 apartment owners concerned who did not receive any rent during the first tranche release as well.

Besides, AWHO has not yet paid the one-time shifting charges of ₹30,000 to any of the apartment owners, a claim also included in the contempt petition.