The Kozhikode Corporation’s late-December stop memo to the management of a convention centre near Sarovaram Biopark, ordering a halt to a New Year programme and then permitting it, has stirred a heated local dispute over licensing and environmental concerns.
Kozhikode New Year licence under scrutiny
On 30 December 2025 the Corporation secretary served a stop memo after a complaint from the environmental group Sarovaram Prakrithi Samrakshana Samithi. The Samithi alleged the convention centre was an unauthorised construction built on a wetland fill and said the organisers had not obtained a PPR licence, the licence required under the Kerala Places of Public Resort Rules, 1965.
The memo said the management had failed to inform the Corporation about the event, which would be subject to entertainment tax. The Samithi warned it would mount strong protests if the New Year programme went ahead in defiance of the order.
In a turn of events the convention centre management applied for and received a PPR licence shortly before the event, effectively nullifying the stop memo. The licence was reportedly issued only hours before the programme began.
“The Corporation should not have issued the licence considering that the building was unauthorised, and that it was constructed on a wetland fill,” said Samithi president Ajay Lal K. He added that the management was falsely claiming a Kerala High Court permission to run events and that the Samithi would present the recent developments at the next hearing on 5 January.
Corporation secretary K. U. Bini defended the civic body’s decision, saying the Corporation had no authority to refuse a PPR licence once an application met statutory requirements. Ms Bini noted that the building had obtained necessary clearances from the Fire and Rescue Services department and the State Pollution Control Board. She also said the programme was held within a closed space and did not technically disturb the public, which supported the decision to grant the licence.
The controversy highlights the friction that can arise at the intersection of urban development, environmental protection and civic regulation. Wetland reclamation is a sensitive issue in Kerala, where such areas provide natural flood mitigation and ecological services. If the Samithi’s claims that fill material was used to create the convention centre are substantiated, the case could prompt closer scrutiny of building approvals and enforcement actions.
Legal experts say the High Court will weigh whether procedural safeguards were followed when the licence was issued and whether the Corporation erred in its initial stop memo. The impending hearing on 5 January will be closely watched by local residents, environmental activists and municipal officials.
For now the New Year programme proceeded after the late licence was granted, but the dispute is unresolved. The Samithi’s pledge to pursue the matter in court means the issue will remain in the public eye while the judiciary determines whether the construction and the licensing process complied with statutory and environmental norms.
Key Takeaways:
- The Kozhikode Corporation initially issued a stop memo over an alleged unauthorised convention centre near Sarovaram Biopark.
- The convention centre obtained a PPR licence hours before the New Year event, prompting protests from environmental group Sarovaram Prakrithi Samrakshana Samithi.
- Civic authorities say required clearances from Fire and Rescue Services and the State Pollution Control Board were in place.
- The Samithi plans to raise the matter in the High Court at the next hearing on 5 January.
