Lulu Mall: 'Political interference' reason for near 3-year delay in opening Thrissur project

Dubai: The newest mall project in Kerala is getting delayed by nearly 3 years - and the project's owner, M.A. Yusuffali, is clear as to why this is happening.

Yusuffali has cited 'political interference' as the main reason for delays to the Lulu Mall project in Thrissur. The Group already has hugely successful retail destinations in Kochi and Thiruvananthapuram. (There is also a mini-mall in Calicut.)

The mall was supposed to be operational two-and-a-half years ago - but finds itself 'delayed due to a court case filed by a person linked to a political party'.

“The project was expected to generate 3,000 jobs," said the Lulu Chairman at an event in Kerala. "But soon after we acquired land and began initial work, a baseless case was filed.

"It has been pending in the High Court.”

Lulu had bought the 1-acre plot in Thrissur for the mall over 4 years ago. And then 2.5 years ago, the plans got caught up in the legal imbroglio, with a case filed saying that the project was encroaching into farm land.

Yusuffali said business ventures in the country often face several hurdles - but 'once the issues are resolved, Lulu Mall will definitely become a reality in Thrissur'.

The Lulu Group is one of the biggest employers in Kerala, with over 40,000 staff.

Through the years, Kerala has always had to struggle with the perception of being seen as not a favourable place for businesses to operate in. This is something that the Lulu malls in Kochi and Thiruvananthapuram have tried to counter.

More recently, there was the opening of the Gautam Adani backed port in Vizhinjam, built on a public-private partnership.

* The land was previously owned by three members of the Chiriyankandath Veetil family.

* It is located near Hayat Regency, Thrissur, and spans over 1 acre.

* The land had remained uncultivated for decades, with no paddy farming during this period. The Chiriyankandath family had filled the land with soil in anticipation of future development activities. However, the plans did not progress.

* Lulu Group acquired the land in 2020.

* CPI leader T.N. Mukundan filed a legal case regarding the land. The case is currently under consideration in the High Court.