Gujarat government has ordered a fresh process for allocating a disputed 978-square-metre plot linked to former cricketer and Lok Sabha MP Yusuf Pathan. Vadodara Municipal Corporation has prepared a proposal based on that order, but the allocation still requires a decision from its standing committee.
Under the proposed arrangement, 500 square metres would be given to Pathan as a gift. The remaining 478 square metres would be offered at a 55% discounted rate. The government order also says the arrangement should not be treated as a precedent.
The land is located in Tandalja under Town Planning Scheme 22, Final Plot Number 90, near the Pathan family home. Gujarat's revenue department is expected to provide the municipal corporation with land of equivalent value.
Why the plot is disputed
The Indian Express reported that the plot had been prepared for auction by the municipal corporation in July. Its indicated rate was ₹2.10 lakh per square metre, placing the estimated value of the full plot at ₹20.5 crore.
The auction process was halted after allegations that the site had been encroached upon. The municipal corporation had issued Pathan a notice to remove the alleged encroachment in 2024. Pathan challenged that notice before the Gujarat High Court.
The dispute goes back to 2012, when Pathan approached the municipal corporation seeking a 99-year lease without an auction. His application referred to his status as a cricketer and security concerns. The corporation accepted the request at the time, when the plot was valued at about ₹5.6 crore, and Pathan was prepared to pay that amount.
However, allocation without an auction required approval from the Gujarat government. The state urban development department rejected the proposal in 2014. The municipal corporation later alleged that Pathan had fenced the plot even after the proposal was rejected.
Court proceedings and proposed settlement
In August 2025, the Gujarat High Court upheld the rejection of the government's earlier allocation decision. During a hearing in June this year, the court also questioned how rights over the land could be claimed without payment or completion of allocation formalities.
On 31 August, Pathan instructed his lawyer to withdraw the appeal. His lawyer told the High Court that the dispute could be resolved outside court. The government order was issued on 13 August and reached the municipal corporation on 29 August, 2 days before the appeal was withdrawn.
Municipal commissioner Arun Mahesh Babu told the newspaper that approval had been received from the Gujarat government, but the details were still being finalised. He said the order would proceed through the corporation's normal process.
The proposal has now been sent to the standing committee. Until that process is completed, the reported gift and discounted allocation remain subject to the corporation's final decision.
Political context
The report also linked the development to Pathan's recent departure from the Trinamool Congress. It said the former cricketer and MP had joined the breakaway group's merger with the Nationalist Citizens Party of India, referred to as NCPI in the report.
Conclusion
The immediate development is a Gujarat government-backed proposal covering 978 square metres, with 500 square metres proposed as a gift and 478 square metres at a discounted rate. Vadodara Municipal Corporation's standing committee must still decide the allocation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. What land arrangement has been proposed for Yusuf Pathan?
The proposal covers 978 square metres. It provides for 500 square metres as a gift and 478 square metres at a 55% discounted rate.
Q. Where is the plot located?
The plot is in Tandalja under Town Planning Scheme 22, Final Plot Number 90, near the Pathan family home.
Q. What is the estimated value of the plot?
The estimated value is ₹20.5 crore, based on an indicated rate of ₹2.10 lakh per square metre.
Q. Why was the auction halted?
The auction was stopped after allegations that the site had been encroached upon.
Q. What did the Gujarat High Court decide in August 2025?
The court upheld the rejection of the government's earlier allocation decision.
Q. Has the allocation received final approval?
No. The proposal has been sent to the Vadodara Municipal Corporation's standing committee for a final decision.
Q. What did the municipal commissioner say?
Arun Mahesh Babu said government approval had been received, but the details were still being finalised and the order would follow the corporation's normal process.
