Row over shops under foot overbridge

Youth Congress alleges nepotism in selection of agency for managing shop rooms

The occupation of shop rooms under the mechanised foot overbridge on Rajaji Road, near the mofussil bus stand in Kozhikode, has kicked up a row.

The Youth Congress had recently organised a protest at the site alleging nepotism in the selection of the agency to manage the shop rooms. M.P.A. Sidique, president of the Kozhikode South Assembly constituency unit of the party, said that the proprietor of the agency was a relative of a prominent CPI(M) leader, and hence, the selection process was not proper.

The mechanised foot overbridge, the first of its kind in the State, was launched in November 2020. The Kozhikode Corporation had invited an Expression of Interest (EoI) to manage the four shop rooms under the bridge, to which 12 agencies had responded. Mr. Sidique alleged that the agency had quoted just around ₹11 lakh as basic deposit, while there were at least six other agencies that quoted more. He said they were disqualified citing technical issues. “The corporation did not even sign an agreement with the selected agency, which has been managing the rooms for a year and a half. Two of them have been sublet by now, and the agency gets around ₹5,000 a day as rent,” Mr. Sidique said.

Opening the protest on Friday, UDF leader in the corporation council K.C. Shobhita pointed out that the civic body was missing out on a major source of revenue by handing over the rooms on a platter to the agency.

The Youth Congress demanded that the corporation demand compensation from the agency for using the rooms. Besides, it demanded that the corporation invite a fresh EoI and conduct tender proceedings in a transparent manner.

The organisation plans to intensify protest and occupy the shop rooms if the corporation fails to take action on the matter soon.