DDC plea to set up AIIMS in Kozhikode

The District Development Committee has urged the State government and the Centre to set up the proposed All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Kozhikode.

A resolution to this effect was adopted at a meeting of the committee held here on Saturday. A Pradeepkumar, MLA and Moyin Kolakkadan, Congress activist, who represented M.I. Shanavas, MP, presented the resolution.

The proposed AIIMS for the State could be established in the 200 acres of land held by the Grasim Industries at Mavoor. If more land was required the institute could be set up at Kinaloor Industrial Estate land in possession of the Department of Industries, Mr. Pradeepkumar said.

Previously the Union Minister for Health Harsh Vardhan had promised M.K. Raghavan, MP, that Kozhikode would be considered for setting up the AIIMS. This was after Mr. Raghavan had an interaction with Dr. Vardhan at the latter’s office in New Delhi. The Minister had announced that the Union government planned to establish an AIIMS-like institute in each State. However, Mr. Kolakkadan said that the government could utilize the over 500 acres of barren land at Arimbrakunnu stretched across Thiruvambady in Kozhikode district and Eranad in Malappuram district. The proposed AIIMS would benefit the people of six districts in north Kerala and cities such as Mangalore, Mysore, and Coimbatore in neighbouring States. Kozhikode, which had sufficient government land and good connectivity by air, rail, and road, was ideal for setting up the AIIMS.

The meeting also adopted a resolution presented by Purushan Kadalundi, MLA, asking the revenue department to collect land tax from settlers staying in areas bordering the forest at Koorachundu since 1977.

Earlier, the village officers refused to collect tax from the settlers. But the issue was sorted out in the presence of the Chief Minister and an order had been passed. However, village officers now declined to collect tax following a report submitted by the Department of Forest and Wildlife. The government should take a stand favouring the farmers in the region, Mr. Kadalundi said.