The Kozhikode Corporation Council meeting on Friday (March 13) approved publication of the Local Area Plan (LAP) for the development of the Palayam sector in the Government Gazette, despite opposition from the Congress and the United Democratic Front (UDF) Muslim League of India.
The UDF submitted a note of dissent arguing that the proceedings could not be approved without first hearing public concerns and warning that it could lead to future legal complications. At the same time, the BJP councilors supported the publication of the LAP.
The UDF councillors, including SV Mohammed Shamil Thangal, KC Shobitha, SK Aboobacker and CP Salim, pointed out that they were not against the development of Palayam itself, but insisted that it must follow established legal procedures. They emphasized that when planning the development of the region, seeking the opinion of the residents is a natural and necessary step.
Members warned that if the public was ignored, individuals could go to court, potentially stalling the development indefinitely. The council must avoid getting into legal entanglements by circumventing proper protocols, they argued.
Mayor O. Sadasivan, who chaired the meeting in the afternoon, told the council that this was not the final plan. Its publication in the Gazette is precisely what allows the public to examine the proposal and provide feedback.
Adding a financial dimension to the urgency, Corporation Secretary NK Hareesh noted that ₹2 crore would be provided under the central government scheme if the LAP is gazetted by March 31. Failure to do so will result in the loss of those funds, he said.
The meeting saw heated exchanges when Deputy Mayor S. Jayasree criticized IUML member Fatima Tehlia, saying there was no point in quoting the law with reference to Google. This drew backlash from UDF members who questioned whether it was wrong for those advocating digitization to look at the phone.
Asserting that she did not intend to offend anyone, the deputy mayor clarified that the LAP was prepared by the architecture department of the National Institute of Technology Calicut (NIT-C).
She also assured the council that there is enough time for a detailed discussion and recording of the public’s views for the future. The plan includes several schemes such as a facility for 500 traders at Palayam and an apartment complex at Chinthavalappu, Ms. Jayasree said.
Development Standing Committee Chairman VP Manoj said once the plan is announced, public discussions will take place and the Detailed Project Report (DPR) for West Hill Kottaparambha and Valiyangadi (Big Bazaar) will be prepared only after this stage.
Published – 13 March 2026 21:26 IST
