Kochi: The high court on Friday directed the Kochi corporation to commence rectification works on the S A Road stretch in the city expeditiously and complete them within four months.
During the hearing on Friday, the bench also criticised the Kochi corporation for not informing it of an increase in the estimated cost from Rs 10 crore, which had been sanctioned by the state govt, to Rs 12.55 crore. The bench orally stated that the revised estimate of Rs 12.55 crore had never been mentioned in any of the hearings that had been continuing since March 2026. The court also noted that on June 12, 2026, the Kochi corporation superintending engineer, in his report, had categorically stated that the estimated amount was Rs 10 crore.
“Even on the last occasion when this matter was heard, it was never contended that there has been a revised estimate…,” the court observed. “There is no justification for delaying the works on the ground of the increased estimated amount,” the court said, and accordingly directed the corporation to complete the works within four months. A bench of Chief Justice Soumen Sen and Justice V M Syam Kumar issued the order while disposing of a PIL filed by Pauly Vadakkan of Kadavanthra in Kochi, seeking a directive to the authorities to address dangerous road surface irregularities that had developed around the Metro pillars in the city. The court further orally stated that the balance amount should be found by the corporation from its own resources.