Govt. urged to order comprehensive probe into building collapse in Kozhikode

The Kozhikode Corporation Council on Thursday unanimously urged the State government to order a comprehensive inquiry into the collapse of the old building at Valiyangadi, which claimed the lives of four workers.

The council also demanded ₹25 lakh each as compensation from the government for the families of the deceased and sought government jobs for their dependents.

The resolution was adopted at a meeting chaired by Mayor O. Sadasivan. Two separate resolutions moved by S.V. Sayyid Shameel Thangal of the United Democratic Front (UDF) and Navya Haridas of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) were consolidated into a common resolution by the Mayor as part of a reconciliation effort.

Responding to the Opposition’s criticism that the ₹1-lakh immediate assistance announced earlier was inadequate, Mr. Sadasivan clarified that the amount was the maximum emergency relief aid that could be sanctioned within the Corporation’s limits. He said efforts would be made to secure ₹25 lakh each from the State government for the bereaved families.

BJP member T. Reneesh also said that the ₹1-lakh aid was “meagre”. He asked why the Corporation had not sought compensation from the government before convening the council, and why no action was initiated even two days after the incident.

Mr. Shameel Thangal demanded that the incident be probed by a sitting judge. The Mayor replied that if the government did not permit the appointment of a sitting judge, it could lead to delays in the investigation, and that it was appropriate for the government to decide on the nature of the inquiry.

The meeting witnessed a brief commotion when UDF councillor Fathima Tahliya rose to speak again after the discussion on the subject had concluded and Left Democratic Front (LDF) member Adam Malik attempted to object. There were also protests by a few LDF members who opposed remarks made by a UDF councillor in support of Ms. Tahliya.