TIRUCHY: Safety concerns have surfaced over a proposal to conduct jallikattu in the SDAT-owned Anna stadium located at Khajamalai on February 22.
Sources said the district administration has sought a multi-departmental report even as preparatory works such as construction of temporary spectator gallery to house 3,000 people, vadivasal are underway in the four-acre stadium which also houses a fenced synthetic hockey turf.
Also, the event is yet to be notified in the 2026 gazette or granted formal permission. According to sources, the Khajamalai Jallikattu Peravai, on February 6. submitted a petition to district collector V Saravanan seeking approval to hold the jallikattu, citing the Chief Minister's birthday as reason.
The same day, the collector directed the district revenue officer to hold a joint inspection by officials from police, fire and rescue services, public works department, district sports officer, animal husbandry and health departments. In a separate communication to the Commissioner of Police N Kamini, the collector sought a consolidated report with site maps.
Even before the inspection report could be completed, pandhakal was installed in the venue on Sunday in which minister and DMK principal secretary KN Nehru took part. Officials clarified that organisers begin preliminary arrangements while awaiting gazette notification, and this does not constitute approval, which hinges on gazette listing and safety clearances. Jallikattu was last held in the stadium prior to 2011.
Senior SDAT officials said as of Monday no approval had been issued to hold the event in the stadium, adding the venue was not suited for a large-scale event as at least 500 bulls and more than 300 tamers are likely to take part. Rajesh, convenor of Tamilar Veera Vilayattu Meetpu Kazhagam and NTK functionary, termed the choice of venue politically motivated and warned that crowds exceeding 6,000 could overwhelm access roads and emergency services.
He questioned why the event could not be held in the dedicated jallikattu arena at Suriyur, which comes under Thiruverumbur constituency of minister Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi. Ghouse Baig, a resident of Khajamalai, said the stadium’s limited entry and exit points were unsuitable for such a large gathering, making the venue accident-prone during peak crowd movement and emergencies, while also risking damage to the ground and sports infrastructure,
Citing recent spectator deaths in Salem and Pudukkottai, he said permission should not be given for the event. DRO R.Balaji said the inspection report would be forwarded to the state government for its decision, adding that gazette will be released by them.