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Gujarat clears proposal for Yusuf Pathan’s disputed land allotment (Img: IANS)
Ahmedabad: The Gujarat government has approved a proposal to allot a disputed 978-square-metre plot owned by the Vadodara Municipal Corporation (VMC) in Tandalja to former India cricketer and ex-Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Yusuf Pathan. Under the proposal, 500 square metres will be gifted to him for residential use, while the remaining 478 square metres will be transferred at 55% of the assessed value.
VMC Municipal Commissioner Arun Mahesh Babu confirmed that the civic body had received the state government's approval. However, the proposal still needs to clear the corporation's Standing Committee and General Board before the allotment can be finalised.
“However, the details are yet to be finalised, and the proposal will have to go through VMC’s standing committee and general board approval process,” he said.
The proposal, prepared by VMC's land estate department, concerns a plot in Tandalja under Town Planning Scheme 22, Final Plot 90. The civic body has estimated its market value at Rs 20.53 crore, based on a valuation of Rs 2.10 lakh per square metre.
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The government's resolution reached VMC towards the end of August. Under its terms, the 500-square-metre portion will be allotted to Pathan as a gift for residential use. The remaining 478 square metres will be transferred at 55% of the valuation fixed by the Vadodara Urban Development Authority's (VUDA) valuation committee on March 17, 2026, giving Pathan a 45% concession against that valuation.
The resolution clarifies that the arrangement will not serve as a precedent for similar cases. It also requires the revenue department to allot VMC land of equivalent value to compensate for the transfer.
The land dispute dates back to 2012, when Pathan sought a 99-year lease of the plot adjoining his family's residence. In his application, he cited security concerns arising from his status as an international cricketer and said the additional land would be convenient for residential use.
VMC's Standing Committee and General Board initially approved the proposal for a direct allotment without a public auction and forwarded it to the state government. The urban development department rejected the request in June 2014, maintaining that valuable public land should be allotted through a public auction or open bidding.
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Despite the rejection, the civic body later alleged that Pathan had fenced off and occupied the plot. The issue returned to the spotlight in June 2024, shortly after he won the Lok Sabha election, when VMC issued him a notice asking him to remove the alleged encroachment.
Pathan challenged the civic body's action in the Gujarat High Court. His lawyers cited a government policy on allotting land to international sportspersons, while VMC argued that the plot belonged to the civic body and could not be transferred without following the prescribed procedure.
In August 2025, the High Court upheld the state government's rejection of the proposal. It ruled that prolonged possession of the land, without a formal allotment order or payment, did not establish a legal right to it.
Pathan subsequently appealed against the ruling. During hearings in June 2026, a division bench questioned how he had taken possession of public land without completing the allotment formalities or making payment. The court also warned that continued occupation could increase his financial liability.
On August 31, Pathan withdrew his appeal unconditionally.
The government's approval comes amid political developments in West Bengal. According to the supplied account, Pathan and other rebel TMC Lok Sabha MPs broke away from Mamata Banerjee and announced their merger with the Nationalist Citizens Party of India (NCPI) on June 14, 2026, following the BJP's victory in the West Bengal Assembly elections. He was appointed one of the NCPI's national vice-presidents.
