Thiruvananthapuram, Oct 29 (PTI) UDF-backed independent MLA G Sudhakaran's sharp criticism of the government's SARAL Keralam Bill, 2026, on Thursday took an unexpected turn, with Chief Minister V D Satheesan using the legislator's proposal to set up an AIIMS on a paddy field in Alappuzha to counter his attack.
Sudhakaran, who moved amendments to the Bill and described it as "draconian", found himself at the centre of a debate over his proposal to establish an All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) on more than 600 acres of paddy land at Manakkal in Purakkad.
Earlier in the day, Health Minister K Muraleedharan had told the Assembly that the government would consider Sudhakaran's proposal.
However, the Simplified and Accelerated Regulatory Approvals and Licensing (SARAL) Keralam Bill, 2026, came under fire from Sudhakaran, who alleged that the legislation would adversely affect the agricultural areas of Kuttanad, known as the "Rice Bowl of Kerala”, which spans Alappuzha, Kottayam and Pathanamthitta districts.
The SARAL Keralam Bill aims to make the state more business-friendly and attract investment by simplifying regulatory approvals and licensing.
"What kind of announcement is this, sir? What will be the state of Kerala if this happens? This is not child’s play. This Bill is not an ordinary Bill. This may seem simple, but it is a draconian Bill," he said.
His intervention drew support from the CPI(M)-led Opposition.
"The concerns we expressed regarding this Bill have already been raised here. We have now seen that serious concerns regarding this have arisen within the ruling party itself," Leader of the Opposition Pinarayi Vijayan said while opposing the Bill.
As Sudhakaran stepped up his attack on the Bill, Chief Minister Satheesan referred to the MLA's calling attention motion on the proposed AIIMS to counter his criticism.
"When I looked, Sudhakaran had given a calling attention motion in the morning. What was that calling attention? The demand to establish the All India Institute of Medical Sciences in Kerala at the Purakkad Manakkal paddy field in Alappuzha district," Satheesan said.
"We will not do that. We will not set up AIIMS on any paddy field. Paddy fields will remain as such and will be protected," the Chief Minister said during the discussion on the Bill.
Earlier in the day, responding to Sudhakaran's calling attention motion, Muraleedharan said the government had recommended four districts --Thiruvananthapuram, Ernakulam, Kottayam and Kozhikode -- for an AIIMS in 2014.
In 2017, it recommended land owned by the Kerala State Industrial Development Corporation (KSIDC) at Kinaloor in Kozhikode district for the institution.
In 2024, the Union Health Ministry sought in-principle approval from the Union Finance Ministry for the project. In 2026, the state government forwarded 10 proposed sites to Union Health Minister J P Nadda.
The Centre had favoured a site near the Nettukaltheri open prison.
However, following a recent Supreme Court ruling, 75 per cent of the land would have to be handed over to the BrahMos facility, prompting the Collectors of Kasaragod, Thrissur and Kottayam to suggest alternative sites.
Muraleedharan said the Alappuzha District Collector had not yet submitted a report on the proposed site, but the government would consider Sudhakaran’s proposal and seek a detailed report on the Manakkal paddy field.
