Thrissur: The CBI's chargesheet in the Life Mission flat construction scam has laid bare a web of corruption, but it leaves a critical question unanswered: who will be held accountable for choosing a remote, inaccessible hillside in Wadakkanchery's Charalparambu to build homes for the poor?

Today, what was meant to be a sanctuary for those who lost everything in the devastating 2018 floods stands as a desolate ghost house, rapidly being swallowed by the surrounding forest. Wild vegetation has grown as tall as the buildings, and a health centre constructed as part of the project lies hidden in the undergrowth, its window panes long since stolen by vandals.

The project aimed to construct 140 flats across three buildings, funded by a ₹20 crore grant from the Red Crescent. However, the funds were allegedly plundered before the first brick was laid. Unitac Builders, the contracting firm, reportedly paid ₹4 crore in commissions to various accused individuals. Furthermore, Santhosh Eappen, the managing partner of Unitac, reportedly pocketed ₹5 crore as an immediate profit margin. The actual construction commenced using only what remained of the funds, coming to a grinding halt when investigations began.

Political mudslinging and abandoned promises
In the wake of the scandal, the CPM launched a fierce campaign blaming former Congress MLA Anil Akkara, who had exposed the corruption, for stalling the project and depriving the homeless of shelter. However, critics point out that the state government could have utilised ₹15 crore previously sanctioned to continue the work. Instead of completing the project, the ruling party focused on using the stalled construction as political leverage, effectively sealing the fate of the development.

A suspicious location in the middle of nowhere
Serious questions also hang over the selection of the land, which reportedly belonged to a leader of an LDF constituent party. Reaching the site is an ordeal in itself. From Wadakkanchery railway station, one must navigate narrow lanes up to Charalparambu Junction, the final point of the tarred road. From there, a rough, one-kilometre dirt track winds through rubber and pineapple plantations before dropping down a steep incline where the flats are situated. Ironically, although the project was supposedly initiated for those displaced by the 2018 floods, the official list of beneficiaries was never even finalised before the project was abandoned to the wilderness.