Demolition of Kokers Theatre divides council as Kochi Mayor calls for structural stability test by expert agency
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Kokers Theatre in Fort Kochi. | Photo Credit: THULASI KAKKAT
A structural stability test will be conducted before a decision on whether to demolish the iconic Kokers Theatre, Kerala’s first 70 mm screen and a popular landmark of Fort Kochi.
Mayor V.K. Minimol announced this following a heated exchange between the ruling United Democratic Front (UDF) and the Opposition Left Democratic Front (LDF) over the demolition. While UDF councillors, including division councillor Shiny Mathew, pressed for the now dysfunctional theatre to be pulled down on safety grounds, LDF councillors opposed the move, alleging that the finance committee’s recommendation for demolition made no mention of the theatre’s structural stability.
“The Tourism department has evinced interest in preparing a detailed project report for converting the structure into a cultural centre. While retaining the main structure, parts of the building, including the compound wall in danger of collapse, will be immediately pulled down and a fresh wall constructed to avert encroachments. The case pending regarding a rented structure distinct from the main building will also be looked into,” said Ms. Minimol.
LDF parliamentary party leader V.A. Sreejith insisted that the theatre should be renovated and retained as a cultural centre rather than demolished.
The finance committee had approved an estimate of ₹19.54 lakh based on a survey, which pegged the demolition cost at ₹4.50 lakh while valuing the saleable debris at ₹14.03 lakh. However, the process was stalled after LDF councillor and finance standing committee member Ambika Sudarshan filed a letter objecting to the demolition. Ms. Sudarshan alleged that opinions voiced by LDF members in the finance committee were consistently overlooked and left unrecorded.
Ms. Mathew countered that the ward committee in her division had repeatedly demanded demolition of the structure on safety grounds. Renovation, she argued, would prove costlier than constructing a new facility. Fort Kochi Veli division councillor Manju Anilkumar, a resident of the theatre’s neighbourhood, maintained that the structure was stable and should be renovated and converted into a revenue-generating facility, sparking a heated exchange with UDF councillor Vijayakumar, who insisted on demolition.
BJP councillor Priya Prashanth pointed out that the Corporation was no longer liable for the loss of equipment from the theatre due to the statute of limitations in filing money suit in the case against the Corporation by theatre owner Siyad Koker. However, a case filed by an agency for damages relating to a rented structure along the theatre’s frontage remains pending.
Welfare standing committee chairperson Antony Painuthara argued that renovating and using an old structure could impose a greater burden on the Corporation, citing the example of She Lodge.
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