Kozhikode: Even as the city grapples with the shock of the fatal sunshade collapse at Valiyangadi market that killed four head-load workers, serious questions are being raised over whether the Kozhikode Corporation failed to properly assess the safety of the decades-old building it owned and permitted to function.

Traders and local representatives in the area say the structure had been in a dilapidated condition for a long time. They point out that the Corporation Council decided in 2024 to demolish the building and even announced plans to float a tender for the purpose.  In the last Budget, the Corporation also proposed constructing a Spices Tower after demolishing the structure. However, none of these proposals were implemented.

Opposition leader V Muhammed Shameel alleged that the council had clearly recorded that the three-storey structure — reportedly built before 1975 and which once housed the passport office — was unsafe and required immediate demolition. “Despite that decision, no concrete steps were taken. Shockingly, the Corporation even granted a licence to a new firm, Ganesh Traders, to start operations in the same building three months ago,” he said, terming the accident a “clear lapse” on the part of the civic authorities.

Corporation Secretary Hareesh confirmed that a decision to demolish the building had been taken earlier. However, Mayor O Sadasivan maintained that the building had not been officially declared unfit. According to him, the proposal to demolish it was part of a broader plan to remove some of the Corporation’s oldest structures, not necessarily because they were structurally unsafe. He added that permission for new shops was granted as the building was considered fit for functioning.

Traders, however, strongly dispute this claim. Many shop owners had already vacated the premises, citing safety concerns. “Almost all the pillars are weakened, and steel rods are exposed in several places. The roof, too, shows visible damage,” said Muhammed Abdul Rahman, a trader in the market. He alleged that while a 20-year-old market building in the city is set to be demolished soon, the removal of this ageing structure has been indefinitely delayed. “There are vested interests behind such decisions,” he claimed.

Several rooms in the building remain locked, with occupants having moved out due to fears of a total collapse. A few tenants, however, continue to operate after obtaining stay orders from the court against eviction.

 The tragedy has now sparked public anger, with traders accusing authorities of ignoring repeated warnings about the condition of the structure.“The traders had even lodged complaints with the City Corporation, stating that portions of the ceiling were falling off the building and demanding urgent repair works. But the authorities failed to take any action,” alleged Manaf Kappad, trader and district vice-president of the Kerala Vyapari Vyavasayi Ekopana Samithi (KVVES).

 The BJP, which took out a protest march to the Kozhikode Corporation office, also alleged corruption behind the decision to allow shops and godowns to continue functioning in the old building.  BJP leader and Corporation councillor Navya Haridas, who was also a member of the previous council, claimed that a special committee — of which she and the present Mayor O Sadasivan were members — had earlier decided to demolish four old Corporation-owned buildings, including the old Passport Kendra building at Valiyangadi, the Venad Hotel building near the Medical College, the Jawahar Building and a godown building at Puthiyara, as they were found to be unfit.

“The decision was not implemented. Instead, the Corporation illegally granted permission to start a new firm in the same building three months ago," she alleged. Navya further said that the Corporation had resolved in 2025 to conduct a safety audit of all old buildings under its ownership but failed to take concrete steps to ensure their safety, despite collecting taxes from occupants.

In the wake of the incident, the Mayor reiterated that the Corporation would soon conduct a comprehensive safety audit of all old buildings within the city limits. For many in the Valiyangadi market, the promise of a safety audit comes too late. Traders say repeated warnings and visible signs of decay had been ignored for years, with no decisive action taken until tragedy struck.