LuLu Group to Fund Planetarium Project in Kerala CM Pinarayi's Village

A project to establish a planetarium is moving forward in Pinarayi, the native village of Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, with significant financial backing from the LuLu Group.

In an order issued on April 23, the state government's Revenue Department granted permission to accept funds from LuLu Group chairman M A Yusuff Ali specifically for the purchase of land in Pinarayi panchayat designated for the planetarium project.

The approved process dictates that the funds from LuLu Group will be deposited directly into the account of the Kannur district collector. This money will be used to acquire a 2.09-acre parcel of land, which includes provision for a five-metre-wide access road. The land acquired will be registered in the name of the state Governor, and requests for exemptions on stamp duty related to the transaction have also been made.

The primary objective of the planned planetarium is to foster scientific temper among students and the wider public, according to the government order.

Official records indicate that M A Yusuff Ali's offer of financial assistance came in response to a public appeal. This appeal was reportedly initiated by a citizens' committee formed under the leadership of the Pinarayi panchayat president.

Officials from the Kerala State Science and Technology Museum have inspected the proposed site and deemed it suitable for the project. Landowners are said to have agreed to sell the required area at a negotiated rate of ₹1.2 lakh per cent, which translates to approximately ₹2.5 crore for the entire 2.09-acre plot.

Once the land acquisition is complete, the property will be transferred to the Higher Education Department, which will then proceed with the further stages of the planetarium's development. The district administration has already provided the state government with the necessary survey sketches and land records and is seeking the required approvals for the registration and transfer processes.