Kannur to become corporation; 28 new municipalities on anvil

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Ahead of the local body elections, the cabinet on Wednesday decided to create 28 new municipalities and 66 new grama panchayats in addition to granting Kannur corporation status.
With this total number of corporations, municipalities and grama panchayats in the state will be six, 87 and 1011 respectively.
“The decision to bifurcate the local bodies has been taken based on the recommendations from various quarters.It is a draft list and the government has set aside 15 days to receive feedback on this list. A final list will be issued only after this,’’ said chief minister Oommen Chandy.
The new local bodies would come into place before the next civic polls.
The new municipalities are: Kottarakara, Ettumanoor, Pattambi, Valancherry, Parappanangady, Payyoli, Pandalam, Piravom, Vadakkancherry, Kondotty, Tanoor, Koduvalli, Mukkam, Cherpulassery, Mannarkadu, Ramanattukara, Keezhurchavassery, Mananthavady, Erattupetta, Kattappana, Koothattukulam, Panur, Harippad, Cheruvannur, Beypore, Ellathur, Kazhakoottom and Anthoor (in Kannur).
Chandy said a commission has been set up with state election commissioner K Sasidharan Nair as chairman for delimitation of wards. James Varghese, principal secretary, local self-government, K R Jyothilal, secretary, general administration, Mohammad Haneesh, urban secretary and K Ellangovan, health secretary, will be members of the commission.
The yardstick adopted for new grama panchayats is population. They will be formed by dividing the existing grama panchayats or by integrating two or more block panchayats, said Chandy. It is expected that new grama panchayats will add to the government’s financial burden whereas new municipalities will not pinch the exchequer.