The Kozhikode City Corporation Council unanimously passed an emergency resolution to take necessary measures to prevent any more fire mishaps in the city and to bring the issue to the notice of the State government. The resolution was jointly presented by C.P. Musafir Ahamed of the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) and N.C. Moyinkutty of the Socialist Janata-Democratic (SJ-D).
P. Kishenchand of the SJ (D) pointed out that the fire that gutted many shops on Court Road on Tuesday was the fifth such fire accident in the city in recent times and that the close proximity of old shops which had poor-quality wiring was the major reason for these fires. He urged the Corporation to take steps to repair these shops and suggested that the Town Planning officials should visit the shops and shortlist the ones that needed to be attended to.
CPI(M) councillor P. Devarajan pointed out that the city lacked the facilities to tackle issues of such magnitude. Another CPI(M) councillor Chembil Vivekanandan suggested that the Corporation should plan safety measures ensuring the participation of the public while M. Mohanan, also of the CPI(M), suggested that the activities of various agencies concerned should be coordinated to check further mishaps.
Renovation of shops
Congress councillor K. Sathyanathan, K. Mohammedali of the Indian Union Muslim League, Deputy Mayor P.T. Abdul Latheef and Opposition leader M.T. Padma spoke. Mayor A.K. Premajam pointed out that the merchants were not the owners of most shops on SM Street and Court Road and hence there was a conflict of interest regarding their renovation. She said that the fact that no deaths were reported in the recent mishaps offered some consolation.
The council then passed an 82-point agenda while one item in the agenda regarding welfare scheme for wayside food vendors was kept aside for further discussion and clarification.
The opposition staged a walkout as soon as a resolution by CPI(M) councillor O. Sadasivan was announced. They said the resolution was abandoned in a previous council and that it should not be presented before the completion of six months from that date. The ruling party members, however, passed the resolution regarding the new amendment proposed by the State government on the Kerala Paddy Field and Wetland Protection Act.
They also passed three other resolutions, one demanding correction of the government attitude on free mid-day meals at school, another flaying the government decision to hike in electricity charges and yet another demanding to increase the number of life guards on the Kozhikode beach.
