The decision of the State Cabinet to form new panchayats and municipalities has not been well-received by the Congress party in the district.
Party leaders feel that their influence will wane in many panchayats with the formation of Cherukulathoor panchayat by carving out areas from Peruvayil, Mavoor, Chathamangalam and Kunnamangalam panchayats in the coming years. But at the same time the proposal will give an edge to its partner, Indian Union Muslim League
Both the Congress and the CPI(M) have alleged that the formation of a local body at Cherukulathoor will also result in communal polarisation in the region.
New municipalities
The proposal is to form seven new municipalities, namely, Payyoli, Koduvally, Mukkam, Ramanattukara-Feroke, Cheruvannur-Nallalam, Beypore, and Elathur- Thalakulathoor, and four grama panchayats, Pantheerankkavu, Punoor, Nellipoyil and Cherukulathoor in the district. As of now the district has two municipalities — Koyilandy and Vadakara — Kozhikode Corporation, and 75 grama panchayats.
Party leaders are also feeling aggrieved at the State government for ignoring their suggestion to upgrade the Kunnamangalam and Thamarassery grama panchayats into municipalities. Kunnamangalam has an annual budget more than the grama panchayats that have been proposed to be upgraded as municipalities. Several educational institutions such as Indian Institute of Management-Kozhikode, Kerala School of Mathematics, Centre for Water Research Development and Management and numerous centres functioning under the Markazu Ssaquafathi Ssunniyya are located in the local body. Instead of amalgamating the Kunnamangalam and Chathamangalam grama panchayats it has been proposed to split the former. Another educational centre - NIT-C is in Chathamangalam.
Previous demands
Previously memorandums for upgrading the panchayat into a municipality have been submitted by the panchayat governing body to the Chief Minister Oommen Chandy and the Minister for Urban Affairs Manjalamkuzhi Ali during their official visits.
An all-party meeting led by the panchayat president A.P. Ashokan has decided to look into the issue and take legal steps in this regard.
However, the Congress and the IUML are in high spirits over the decision to de-link the Cheruvannur-Nallalam, Beypore, and Elathur regions from the Kozhikode Corporation. These three panchayats were merged to the civic body before the local body polls last time and that had helped the LDF to get a majority in the Corporation council.
