The Kozhikode Corporation is pushing forward with its controversial plan to relocate the Palayam vegetable and fruit market from the heart of the city to a newly constructed complex in Kalluthankadavu. This move, planned for the end of the current month, has been met with significant opposition from a section of local merchants.
According to corporation officials, the new market, built by a private company under a build-operate-and-transfer agreement, is slated to open in the third week of October. In response, a coordination committee representing traders is organizing a march with their families to the corporation office on October 8 to formally protest the decision.
One of the committee’s functionaries, A.T. Abdu, explained on Sunday, October 5, that the corporation’s plan primarily addresses the 153 licensed merchants operating from its own building within the current market. However, hundreds of other merchants, who conduct their business from various private buildings in the same area, would face substantial personal financial burdens if they need to secure space in the new market complex.
Mayor Beena Philip and Deputy Mayor C.P. Musafar Ahmed have publicly stated that all Palayam merchants, including street vendors, will be relocated to the new facility. They assured that the 153 licensed merchants from the corporation building would be allocated shops at Kalluthankadavu without any upfront rent, and their rent would not increase for the first two years. The new complex offers a total of 380 rooms. After accommodating the licensed vendors, the private developer will be permitted to rent out the remaining units to other interested parties. Corporation authorities also emphasized that the rent at the new building has been set at ₹80 per square meter to minimize additional financial strain on the merchants.
Despite these assurances, a significant majority of the licensed merchants, who are members of the Kerala Vyapari Vyavasayi Ekopana Samithi, boycotted the shop allocation draw held on October 3. A protest was also staged at the new premises by the coordination committee on the same day. Conversely, corporation officials reported that nine merchants did accept documents for new shops, while 15 others indicated they were unable to attend the allocation process.