The five-member committee assigned to review the Indian Institute of Technology-Madras (IIT-M) report on the structural flaws in the construction of the KSRTC bus terminal-cum-shopping complex here has sought more time to submit a final report, including recommendations for further action.
It submitted an interim report explaining the technical issues involved in the construction of the complex. It also sought clarification on the report submitted by P. Alagusundaramoorthy, Professor, Structural Engineering, IIT-M. The report said that the pillars of the multi-storey twin tower complex were structurally weak and required immediate strengthening. A conclusive report could be submitted only after that, sources said.
The terminal on Mavoor Road was constructed six years ago at a cost of ₹74.63 crore. The structure constructed by the Kerala Transport Development Finance Corporation (KTDFC) was inaugurated on June 1, 2015. The first tower has 10 floors, while the second has 11 floors, including parking space.
The committee, constituted by the Transport Department in the last week of October, was asked to submit its recommendations on rehabilitating the building within a fortnight. However, one of the members, Prof. Nirjhar Dhang, head of the department of civil engineering, IIT Kharagpur, could not reach Kozhikode. Therefore, videos and photographs of the terminal had to be sent to him. Besides, an online meeting was held to evaluate the IIT-M report.
The other members of the panel were chief technical examiner S. Harikumar (convener), T.M. Madhavan Pillai, Department of Civil Engineering, National Institute of Technology-Calicut; L. Beena, Chief Engineer (Buildings) Public Works Department, and K.R. Bindu, College of Engineering, Thiruvananthapuram.
Meanwhile, the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau (VACB) is yet to decide on a preliminary report submitted by its Kozhikode unit to take up a case on irregularities in the construction of the complex.
Vigilance sources said the complex had been constructed without the prior approval of the Kozhikode Corporation. An application for the building plan was submitted only after the completion of construction.
