Kozhikode: In the backdrop of the recent collapse of an old building owned by the Kozhikode City Corporation that claimed four lives, the Corporation has decided to entrust the National Institute of Technology Calicut (NITC) with conducting a safety audit of its buildings that are suspected to be in a dilapidated or unsafe condition.

The decision was taken at the Corporation council meeting held on Tuesday, setting aside an inspection report already prepared by the Corporation’s engineering wing.

Following the building collapse at Valiyangadi Market, the engineering wing of the Corporation had carried out a safety inspection of 22 old buildings within the Corporation limits. The report prepared by the inspection team recommended the complete demolition of seven buildings and suggested conducting further detailed inspection for ten others. The team also advised immediate maintenance work for five buildings.

However, the council meeting decided to set aside the report prepared by its own engineering wing and instead entrust NIT Calicut to conduct inspections of all 22 buildings. The buildings include the one at Valiyangadi where the accident occurred, as well as Corporation-owned structures at Karapparamba, Puthiyara, Cherooty Road, West Hill and other areas.

Deputy Mayor S Jayasree said the Corporation decided to involve NIT Calicut to avoid possible legal disputes over the demolition of the buildings.

“If we take a major decision to demolish buildings where many traders are functioning solely based on the report of the Corporation’s engineering wing, the traders may move legally against it. Therefore, we decided to seek the opinion of experts at NIT Calicut. We will hold discussions with them in the coming days,” Jayasree said.

Opposition councillors from Congress and BJP, however, allege that the move to entrust NITC with further inspections is part of an attempt to delay the demolition of buildings already identified as unsafe. They argue that the inspection and preparation of a report by NITC could take at least a year, and claim that the council’s decision has a hidden agenda to delay the demolition of the seven buildings recommended for removal.

The BJP has already criticised the Corporation authorities for delaying the demolition process. “The Collector had directed the Corporation to conduct a safety inspection around two years ago. But the Corporation authorities are still delaying the procedures, and every delay will pose a serious threat to public safety,” said Navya Haridas, a BJP councillor.

Earlier, a section of traders had opposed the Corporation’s move to demolish the buildings that were found to be unfit. A group of traders had also approached the court against the Corporation’s decision.