Kochi: The Union government’s continued hesitation to approve an All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) for Kerala has escalated into a significant political and legal dispute, prompting intervention by the Kerala High Court.
As disagreements between the Centre and the state intensified over the proposed medical institute, the High Court asked the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare to submit an affidavit clarifying whether the land identified at Kinaloor in Kozhikode—currently under the control of the Kerala State Industries Development Corporation—meets the Centre’s prescribed criteria for establishing an AIIMS. The court also instructed the Centre to carry out a feasibility assessment of the site in consultation with the state government as an interim measure.
In its order, the High Court indicated that, in light of submissions made by the state’s chief secretary in an additional counter affidavit filed in May 2025, the Union government was now required to convey its final decision on the proposed location, which the state maintains complies with the applicable guidelines.
The court took note of the state government’s position that the Kinaloor site was justified and suitable. According to the documents placed before the court, four locations had been found to meet the requirements for an AIIMS: land at Kinaloor in Kozhikode held by KSIDC; land near the open jail at Nettukaltheri in Thevancode, Thiruvananthapuram; land belonging to the Government Medical College in Kottayam; and land owned by HMT in Ernakulam, TNIE reported.
Based on feasibility reports submitted by district collectors, the Chief Minister had informed the Union government in 2019 that approximately 200 acres at Kinaloor was the most viable option for setting up the institute.
The state further informed the court that in 2022, approval was granted to create a new budgetary head to cover land acquisition costs for the AIIMS project. A government order issued in June 2022 authorised ₹92.62 lakh for this purpose, followed by administrative approval later that month to utilise ₹50 lakh from the sanctioned amount.
The state also stated that preliminary steps had already been taken on the ground, including the laying of boundary stones to demarcate the identified land.