The Kerala government’s Revised Budget for 2026-27, presented on Friday(June 19, 2026), by Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan has earmarked ₹5 crore as an initial allocation for upgrading the Government Taluk Hospital in Malappuram town into a super-speciality general hospital, a move widely seen as a response to the long-standing demand for a full-fledged district general hospital.Malappuram district had a general hospital at Manjeri, which was upgraded into a Government Medical College in 2013. The move effectively left the district without its original general hospital. Since then, the medical college has faced infrastructural constraints on further expansion because of its location in a congested urban area.Over the years, there have been sustained demands either to relocate the Government Medical College at Manjeri to a more suitable site outside the town or to establish an alternative multi-speciality general hospital in the district.The latest Budget presented by the United Democratic Front (UDF) government has now addressed this demand, generating renewed optimism among the people of Malappuram.In addition to the hospital upgrade, the Budget has allocated ₹10 crore for setting up a modern cancer centre in Malappuram. The government is expected to identify suitable land for the proposed facility soon.At present, thousands of cancer patients from Malappuram and neighbouring districts have been depending on the Regional Cancer Centre at Thiruvananthapuram for advanced treatment.Minister for Industries P.K. Kunhalikutty welcomed the health sector allocations, stating that the proposals reflect key development priorities of the region.Mr. Kunhalikutty also pointed out that the Budget envisaged development projects worth around ₹200 crore for Malappuram across sectors such as PWD, tourism, education, sports, revenue, health, irrigation, and culture.The Budget also made a notable cultural announcement for Ponnani, proposing a Malabar-Thindis Cultural Biennale modelled on the Kochi Biennale. While no specific financial allocation has been made at this stage, the announcement has raised expectations of future cultural initiatives in the region.On the infrastructure front, ₹3 crore has been allocated for the construction of a coastal protection wall at Ponnani, with additional funding expected from institutions such as NABARD, according to Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan.Further, ₹1 crore has been set aside for establishing a cultural centre and museum in memory of Artist Namboothiri, in association with the Namboothiri Trust. The Budget has also allocated ₹5 crore for the renovation of the Koottayi regulation-cum-bridge, aimed at strengthening local connectivity and infrastructure. Published - June 19, 2026 11:22 pm IST